Auburn Tigers News: John Cohen provides apparel update, Auburn football draft predictions

In today's edition of Auburn Tigers News, athletics director John Cohen talks about the ongoing negotiations for a new apparel deal and ESPN predicts multiple Tigers will be picked in the NFL draft

Many fans of Auburn Athletics have become increasingly unhappy with the apparel deal with Under Armour, a brand that is seen to be lesser in today's world of sports apparel. For some time, athletics director John Cohen has made it known that the Tigers are carefully considering all options for a new deal, and provided an update on the negotiations this week.

"We feel like we're in a very, very positive place right now," Cohen said, per The Montgomery Advertiser. "I think our fanbase (and) everyone connected with Auburn is going to be very pleased with where we are. Just not ready to release because not all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed. ... We're excited about where we are and excited the future in that area. We feel like, again, our student-athletes all the way to our fans and alumni are really going to enjoy it."

There has been a lot of chatter about how other brands may not only provide superiority in name, but in quality, and Cohen said that they have heard input from plenty of parties as they continue to explore the possibilities.

"We got a lot of input from student-athletes, we got a lot of input from fans, we got a lot of input from our coaches and staff members," Cohen added Tuesday. "Everyone across all the stakeholders of Auburn University. We listened. ... At age 57, you realize that listening is a very valuable tool."

ESPN predicts multiple Tigers will be picked in the NFL draft

Last week, ESPN's Matt Miller released his latest mock draft predictions through all seven rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft. There are many Auburn football players hoping to make it to the next level this year, and, according to AL.com's Ainslie Lee, five Tigers are likely to be drafted later this month.

DJ James: 3rd round, pick No. 89, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Nehemiah Pritchett: 5th round, pick No. 167, Minnesota Vikings

Jaylin Simpson: 6th round, pick No. 184, Miami Dolphins

Marcus Harris: 6th round, pick No. 207, Denver Broncos

Justin Rogers: 6th round, pick No. 216, Dallas Cowboys