Tag: justin rogers

Houston Texans draft Marcus Harris with 7th round pick

Harris joins Justin Rogers in finding a new home in Texas.

Not only will Auburn have two representatives in Seattle next season in [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] and [autotag]DJ James[/autotag], but two more former Tigers will also have two former players heading to the Lone Star State.

Former defensive lineman [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] was taken in the 7th round at No. 244 overall by the Dallas Cowboys. Just three picks later, the Houston Texans used their 7th-round pick on fellow lineman [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag].

Harris was the No. 247 overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft, and the fifth former Tiger taken on day three of the event. Harris becomes the first Auburn player to be selected by Houston since the Texans chose [autotag]Jay Prosch[/autotag] with the No. 211 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft. Harris is just the third former Tiger to be drafted by the Houston Texans, joining Prosch and [autotag]Ben Tate[/autotag] (2010).

NFL.com says that Harris will make up for his lack of size (6-2, 286) by being explosive and with great instincts.

Harris punches above his weight class in the strength department, utilizing upper-body power and lower-body balance to fight the good fight. He’ll get moved around by bigger bodies, but he’s relentless and has the athleticism to find his way back into plays.

Nehemiah Pritchett began the day by being drafted in the 5th round by the Seattle Seahawks. DJ James followed suit in the 6th round. Jaylin Simpson was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 5th round while Justin Rogers was taken in the 7th round by the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys select DL Justin Rogers in 7th round

Rogers is the fourth former Tiger to be selected on day three of the NFL draft.

Three former Auburn defensive backs found professional homes on day three of the NFL draft. Now it is the defensive linemen’s turn.

Defensive lineman [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] is the most recent Auburn prospect to be selected in the 2024 NFL draft, where he was taken with the No. 244 overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the final round. He becomes the first former Tiger to be drafted by the Cowboys since 2005 when defensive lineman [autotag]Jay Ratliff[/autotag] was taken by Dallas in the 7th round.

Rogers played one season for Auburn, where he made 17 total tackles in 13 games, totaling 375 snaps. Before his time at Auburn, Rogers played three seasons at Kentucky where he made 61 stops, five went for a loss.

NFL draft buzz shares that Rogers has several strengths such as great instincts and impressive burst. The Cowboys fill a need by adding Rogers to its defensive line.

Rogers joins [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag], and [autotag]DJ James[/autotag] by being taken in the NFL draft. Pritchett was taken by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round, with James joining him in the sixth round. Simpson was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round.

Cowboys complete 2024 draft with huge DT Justin Rogers at No. 244

The Cowboys round out their draft with a round mound in the middle for their defensive line. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Cowboys have ignored the defensive tackle position the entire offseason, and almost left the 2024 draft without one as well. That’s a lot of faith in 2023 first-round pick Mazi Smith and free agent Carl Davis. Before calling it a day though, and clearly not trying to fight against the rest of the league in undrafted free agency, the team selected Auburn DT Justin Rogers with their final selection of the weekend, No. 244.

Rogers checks in at 6-foot-2 and weighs in at 330 pounds, penciling him in as a rotational nose tackle. The club lost Johnathan Hankins and Neville Gallimore in free agency.

 

Photos: Auburn’s 2024 NFL scouting combine participants

Simpson and Pritchett are two of five Tigers who have spent the last week showcasing their talents in Indianapolis.

Many prospects flocked to Indianapolis, Indiana last week to participate in the NFL scouting combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, including five former Auburn Tigers.

Defensive backs [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag], [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], and [autotag]DJ James[/autotag] joined defensive linemen [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] by competing in several drills and interviews throughout the week.

James, Simpson, and Pritchett caught the attention of many this week due to their speed while Rogers and Harris showcased their strengths.

Here is a look back at Auburn’s week at the NFL scouting combine,

Five Tigers receive invites to NFL Combine

Four Auburn seniors and one junior defensive lineman have been invited to compete in the upcoming NFL Combine.

Five Auburn Tigers have received an invitation to the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Defensive backs [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag], [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] along with defensive linemen [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] will perform in front of NFL scouts and coaches during the final week of February.

The senior Harris and junior Rogers will compete with other defensive linemen and linebackers in individual drills on Thursday, February 29, while the trio of senior defensive backs will take the field a day later on Friday, March 1.

Harris and Simpson were the clear stars of a solid Auburn defense last season and could play their way into the early Day 2 conversation, while DJ James seems like a lock to be drafted sometime between the third and fourth rounds.

Senior [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] should be a lock for the third or fourth round as well, although his injury history could sway some teams in other directions.

Auburn’s most intriguing prospect is junior Justin Rogers. The Kentucky transfer collected 17 tackles and 1 sack in his lone year on the Plains but profiles as a late 5th-round pick because of his large 6-foot-3, 346-pound frame and quickness from the interior line.

If all five Tigers competing in the combine get drafted, it would tie the 2023s class as the most Auburn alumni picked in the draft since 2020.

There is a possibility that non-combine invitees [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Zykeivous Walker[/autotag] hear their names called on Day three as well. If that were the case, Auburn’s seven draft day selections would be the most since 1989.

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Justin Rogers announces intention to declare for NFL draft

After spending one season on the Plains, the Kentucky transfer is ready for the next step in his career.

After spending one season on the Plains, Auburn defensive tackle [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] is ready to embark on the next stop of his football career.

Rogers, who spent one season at Auburn after transferring in from Kentucky ahead of the 2023 season, announced on X (formerly Twitter) Thursday that he is declaring for the upcoming NFL draft.

In the tweet, Rogers expressed gratitude towards his family and coach Mike Stoops, his former coach at Kentucky. He also took time to give thanks to Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag], as well as Tiger fans.

A sincere thank you to Coach Freeze and the Auburn Family for their warm welcome. The indescribable love and support I’ve experienced in just one short year here is truly remarkable. Thanks to my teammates and coaches for making this time special. WDE!

Rogers competed in nine games during the 2023 season for Auburn, recording 17 total tackles with one sack. His best games were against Cal on Sept. 9, and at LSU on Oct. 14, where he made three stops each. According to Pro Football Focus, Rogers created nine quarterback pressures for Auburn.

Rogers joins a lengthy list of former Tigers who have declared for the NFL draft. That lists includes DL [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag], DB [autotag]D.J James[/autotag], and DB [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag].

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Auburn shakes up depth chart for Week 9 matchup with Mississippi State

Austin Keys and Keionte Scott are back as starters after returning last week from injury.

Auburn returned two starters on defense last week and they are now back in the starting lineup ahead of Auburn’s Week 9 game against Mississippi State.

[autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] missed three games after undergoing ankle surgery but couldn’t be kept off the field against Ole Miss. He played 71 snaps and made five tackles and defended two passes and is back as the starting star cornerback.

Middle linebacker [autotag]Austin Keys[/autotag] also made his return after missing five games, playing 26 snaps and making four tackles. He and [autotag]Larry Nixon III[/autotag] are both listed as the starting middle linebacker for Mississippi State, separated by an OR

There was another change along the defense with [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] now listed as the starting nose tackle after backing up [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag] all season, Jones is now the backup.

Rogers actually started against Ole Miss and played a season-high 42 snaps. He made the most of his opportunity, making four tackles, including one for a loss.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Co. also tweaked the offensive depth chart, [autotag]Jeremiah Wright[/autotag] is now listed as a backup right guard with [autotag]Jalil Irvin[/autotag]. Wright was previously listed as the backup right tackle but has been replaced by [autotag]Jaden Muskrat[/autotag].

Here is a look at the complete depth chart.

Jim Nagy predicts Jaylin Simpson to ‘blow up’ at NFL combine

The Director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl is impressed with Jaylin Simpson’s performance through three games.

Auburn safety [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] has made his presence known to opposing offenses through three games.

He has hauled in three interceptions, which is the most in that span since [autotag]Jerraud Powers[/autotag] reeled in three in three games in 2007. He is also one of the highest-graded defensive players on the Tigers’ roster with an 80.1 overall grade by Pro Football Focus.

He is already generating plenty of NFL buzz and has caught the attention of Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy.

In a recent interview with On3, Nagy mentioned the athleticism of Simpson by pointing out that he can dunk a basketball despite being 5-feet-11. Matching that with his on-field presence, Simpson could make a splash at next year’s NFL combine.

“So you’re talking about a guy that’s gonna blow up the combine. You see the range,” Nagy said in an interview with On3’s Andy Staples. “He’s got true centerfield skills, and probably athletic enough to play some nickel. I think that’s what a lot of teams right now are looking for, that nickel/free type of player, and they’ve got so many good ones.”

Simpson is having a wonderful season to this point, but Nagy says that the combination of Simpson with linebacker [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] is a lethal one for the Auburn defense.

“You add Simpson into the mix and Eugene Asante at linebacker, I watched him the other day. Unbelievable against Cal, and to think that he was on the bench last year and on the scout team, crazy to think because they had Owen Pappoe a year ago as an off-the-ball linebacker who was the fastest guy at last year’s combine,” Nagy said. “Eugene Asante is every bit as fast on tape and he’s a more natural football player than Owen Pappoe was and this guy didn’t even play, wasn’t even on our watch list.”

Outside of those two players, Nagy says that he is intrigued by defensive backs [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] and [autotag]DJ James[/autotag], as well as transfers [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag].

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Auburn vs UMass: Tale of the Tape

Auburn enters Saturday’s game with UMass as major favorites, but how do they stack up against the underdogs?

The college football season finally kicks off for Auburn on Saturday against 1-0 UMass. The Minutemen are coming off an excellent performance on the road vs. New Mexico State, winning 41-30 on the back of great play from Clemson transfer quarterback [autotag]Taisun Phommachanh[/autotag] and a stout showing from their defensive line.

While the Minutemen surely have momentum coming into this game, there is a reason BetMGM has them as 35.5-point underdogs against the Tigers in Jordan-Hare. The talent gap is wide, but do the direct comparisons support the overwhelming idea this game will be a blowout?

Most football teams’ success is contingent on the play of their quarterback, and both of these teams have a good one.

The aforementioned [autotag]Taisun Phommachanh[/autotag] had an efficient, well-rounded, performance in week one. Phommachanh completed 10 of his 17 passes for 192 yards and was also his team’s leading rusher, compiling 96 yards on the ground on 17 carries.

Still, it’s hard not to give the edge to Auburn quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] here. Although he does not nearly pose the threat on the ground that Phommachanh does (He had 270 rushing yards in three seasons at Michigan State), Thorne is clearly the more established passer.

Over three seasons for the Spartans, Thorne racked up 6,501 passing yards to go along with 49 touchdowns.

Phommachanh on the other hand, played sparingly for Clemson and Georgia Tech before transferring this season. The UMass QB has only thrown 70 passes in four-plus years, completing 34 of them for 409 yards and one touchdown.

The Quarterback edge clearly goes to [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and Auburn.

Experience gives the Tigers the edge in the quarterback battle, and the same goes when looking at the running backs as well.

Auburn running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] is expected by many, including myself, to have a monster season for the Tigers. The junior has averaged a magnificent 6.5 YPC over the past two years, rushing for 1,261 yards and 10 touchdowns on 193 career carries.

Conversely, UMass starter [autotag]Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams[/autotag] came into the season with only 206 carries for 731 yards in four seasons at Rutgers and UMass. Lynch-Adams had a very nice game in his team’s opener last weekend, rushing for 79 yards and scoring twice. Still, Auburn’s All-SEC third-team back has the clear edge here.

As for the final skill position group on offense, the wide receivers, it is hard to gauge which team has the upper hand, at least for now. UMass ran the ball more than twice as much as they threw it in week one, leaving some mystery as to how explosive their pass catcher can be.

Auburn’s receiving core also has a great deal of mystery heading into the season. The team is starting two transfers at the X and Z positions, [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag] and [autotag]Jyaire Shorter[/autotag], respectively. Although both have had great camps, it is hard to tell how either will adjust to a talented SEC after transferring from smaller schools.

It is too early to give either team an edge in this department.

The one area on the field where the huge underdogs could give Auburn a run for their money is the defensive front. The Minutemen front seven wreaked havoc against the New Mexico State offensive line in week one, sacking New Mexico State quarterback Diego Pavia three times.

Auburn’s defensive line has struggled in recent years, particularly against the run. This year’s down lineman rotation features three transfers, [autotag]Mosiah Nasili-Kite[/autotag], [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag], and [autotag]Lawrence Johnson[/autotag], as well as freshmen, [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag].

The Tigers are also starting two transfers at the linebacker spots in jack [autotag]Elijah McAllister[/autotag] and MLB [autotag]Austin Keys[/autotag].

It may take some time for these new Tigers to get their footing, and that could lead to some early gaping holes for a UMass team that has made it clear they want to run the ball.

I’m giving the ever-so-slight edge to UMass in this category just because of the unknown surrounding Auburn’s front seven.

Despite the surpassingly close comparisons across the defensive front and receiver groups, Auburn still has the clear edge as a team in their home opener. They will attempt to show the Jordan-Hare crowd that edge when the teams kick off at 2:30 CST on Saturday.

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Fourteen Tigers named to Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list

Auburn has plenty of talented veterans on its roster.

Auburn has struggled to produce draft picks over the past few NFL drafts but that could be changing soon. The Reese’s Senior Bowl revealed its annual watch list on Wednesday and the Tigers are well represented with 14 players making the list.

The group includes six offensive players and eight defensive players. The offensive group consists of quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], left tackle [autotag]Dillon Wade[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] and wide receivers [autotag]Jyaire Shorter[/autotag], [autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag].

Auburn’s secondary is full of players to monitor with cornerbacks [autotag] DJ James[/autotag], [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] making the list. They are joined by defensive linemen [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] and [autotag]Elijah Mcallister[/autotag] as well as linebackers [autotag]Larry Nixon III[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag].

The 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl will be played on Feb. 3, 2024, and will be shown on the NFL Network.[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

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