Tag: Smoke Monday

A pair of Auburn Tigers mocked to the NFC East

Two Tigers show up in the latest mock from Draft Wire.

The Senior Bowl is all wrapped up so we have the fallout of the week-long event.

Luke Easterling of Draft Wire has another three-round mock draft with two Auburn Tigers getting into the mix.

Roger McCreary, Cornerback

Dan Rainville via Imagn Content Services, LLC

In the first round of the post-Senior Bowl mock draft, we have Roger McCreary heading to the Dallas Cowboys with the No. 24 pick. The Cowboys could use some help in various spots but if he is still available, McCreary makes a lot of sense for the team.

Looking at the impending free agents, the team could lose a depth piece at the position, Maurice Canady. McCreary would give them a solid one-two punch with Trevon Diggs on the outside. Anthony Brown is hot and cold and McCreary is one of the most consistent boundary cornerbacks available in the class.

What Draft Wire Says…

Trevon Diggs has obviously emerged as one of the NFL’s best playmakers at corner, but the rest of the group in Dallas needs work. McCreary was a shutdown artist every week, dominating some of the SEC’s best pass-catchers with regularity, which should make him as pro-ready as any corner in this year’s deep class.

Later in the mock, we have Smoke Monday also heading to the NFC East but not to the Cowboys. He and McCreary could go from teammates to bitter rivals at the next level.

Next, safety heads to the city of Brotherly Love

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Full 7-round Eagles mock 1.0 as we kick off the 2022 NFL draft season

Full 7-round #Philadelphia #Eagles #mockdraft 1.0 as we kick off the #NFLDraft2022 season with 7 versatile defenders and 3 additions on offense

The Eagles are heading off into an intriguing 2022 NFL offseason that features three-first round picks, valuable salary-cap space, and several different routes the franchise can choose to follow.

If Jalen Hurts is the quarterback for at least the next calendar year, then Philadelphia could choose to build around the quarterback, they could push a first-round pick back to 2023 where the quarterback will be much more talented, or they could all-in on a player like Russell Wilson or DeShaun Watson.

It’ll be an interesting lead-up to April’s NFL draft and we’re adding to the fun with our first full seven-round mock draft 1.0.

In our first seven-round mock draft using Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator, we avoided making any trades in this first version, choosing to fully restock a roster that has holes on both sides of the ball, utilizing seven of the 10 picks on high-profile, and highly versatile defensive players.

Watch: Auburn DB Smoke Monday ejected for targeting, Georgia scores on next play

Smoke given the boot

Auburn defensive back Smoke Monday was ejected in the second quarter after being flagged for targeting during a hit on Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett.

Bennett exhibited great effort, running it down to the Auburn two yard line before being smacked by Monday.

Monday was ejected from the game and Georgia’s Zamir White scored on the next play on a 1 yard run.

When will things start to click for Auburn’s defense?

What does Auburn need to do to get better defensively?

Auburn’s defensive backfield has not been playing consistently this season.

Throughout the season, not just against Penn State, there have been missed assignments, poor pursuit angles, and plays where the defensive backs don’t seem to know where to line up. With a trip to LSU coming up this weekend, Auburn’s defense is going to have to figure some things out before they face off against Max Johnson and LSU’s potent passing attack.

Auburn safety Smoke Monday spoke with the media on Tuesday and explained what needed to be done in order for Auburn’s defense to improve.

Monday: We just have to communicate better as a defense. That’s what it comes down to. We just have to know each other and communicate the plays between each other. That’s really all that it is… We have to get lined up right, get the call in, play our brand of football, and communicate.

Contact/Follow us @theauburnwire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion.

Two Tigers make ESPN’s top 100 college football players

Two Tigers get some ESPN love.

Ahead of the 2021 season, ESPN ranked the top 100 players in college football and two Auburn players made the list. 

Auburn is represented on both sides of the ball as Tank Bigsby and Smoke Monday both made the list.

Bigsby is Auburn’s highest-ranked player at No. 27 and is the fourth highest running back.

Bigsby was one of the top running backs in the country last season as a true freshman, rushing for 834 yards and five touchdowns on 138 carries, good enough for 6.04 yards per carry. 

Bigsby is expected to be the focal point of the offense in 2021 and has a chance to finish the season as the best running back in the country.

Here is what ESPN said about him:

“There might not have been a more impressive rookie running back in the country than Bigsby, who burst onto the scene with 122.4 all-purpose yards per game last season, winning SEC Freshman of the Year honors. The Georgia native is expected to be the focus of the Tigers’ offense once again now that last season’s top three receivers (Seth Williams, Anthony Schwartz and Eli Stove) are all gone.”

Monday comes it at No. 77 and is the third highest safety behind Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton (No. 7) and Northwestern’s Brandon Joseph (No. 62). 

Monday is now one of the veterans of the defense and is looking to show he belongs in the NFL in his senior season. 

Here is what ESPN said about him:

“Some of the best news this offseason for Auburn was that the 6-3, 199-pound Monday was returning for his senior season. A bruising tackler, Monday broke into the starting lineup for the first time a year ago and was fourth on the team with 73 total tackles and two interceptions, one he returned 100 yards for a touchdown against Tennessee.”

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Contact/Follow us @theauburnwire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. 

Smoke Monday and Zakoby McClain make preseason award watch lists

Auburn’s defense is loaded entering 2021.

Auburn linebacker Zakoby McClain has been named to the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award while Smoke Monday has been added to the preseason list for theThorpe Award.

Both senior defenders chose to come back to Auburn for one final year and their experience is drawing attention. Their potential high level of play this fall has them getting noticed by several award committees.

McClain led the nation last season with 113 tackles and averaged 10.3 tackles per game. The Butkus Award is given to the best linebacker in college football.

Monday registered 73 tackles in 2020 and was selected as an All-SEC second-team safety. He is one of seven players from the SEC to make the Thorpe Award watch list.

Both defenders are a key reason why Auburn fans believe that the 2021 defense led by Derek Mason can be a strength of this football team. Their experience combined with Owen Pappoe and Roger McCreary makes the Auburn defense a very experienced group on the back end of the new-look Mason defense.

Auburn will get the opportunity to showcase what the new defense looks like, led by McClain and Monday, as the Tigers will take the field in front of the crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 4th at 6:00 pm CST. The game will be televised on ESPN+.

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Contact/Follow us @theauburnwire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. 

Auburn freshmen impact (No. 9: Ahmari Harvey)

Auburn’s got a good one in Ahmari Harvey…

This is the eighth article in a series detailing and ranking the incoming Auburn freshmen’s impact in 2021.

Name: Ahmari Harvey

Position: Saftey

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 175 lbs

Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida

High School: Florida State University School

Twitter: @Ahmari_saucy

His impact in 2021: Harvey has tremendous upside as a football player. He saw the field in every way possible for Florida State University High School as a junior. Harvey caught 40 passes for 642 yards and seven touchdowns, along with 94 tackles and six interceptions. He also had a kick return touchdown. Harvey will be behind quality depth such as Bydarrius Knighton and Donovan Kaufman, but because of his raw athleticism, he should find the field in some way in 2021.

No: 16 AD Diamond

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Contact/Follow us @theauburnwire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. 

Auburn freshmen impact (No. 14: Cayden Bridges)

Get to know incoming freshman Cayden Bridges.

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This is the third article in a series detailing and ranking the incoming Auburn freshmen’s impact in 2021.

Name: Cayden Bridges

Position: Saftey

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 190 lbs

Hometown: Magee, Mississippi

High School: Magee

Twitter: @03Cayden

His impact in 2021: Virtually non-existent, at least this season. Bridges had 52 tackles, six TFL, four interceptions in his senior season.  He also caught 44 passes for 606 yards and seven touchdowns. He will also play baseball for the Tigers. He is a talented athlete. However, with Auburn’s depth at the safety spot, Bridges should be a 2022 role player at best, especially with other incoming freshmen Ahmari Harvey and Vanderbilt transfer Donovan Kaufman sitting above him currently on the depth chart.

No: 15 Dematrius Davis

No: 16 AD Diamond

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Contact/Follow us @theauburnwire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. 

Auburn football: Top defensive players ahead of 2021 season

From Roger McCreary to Colby Wooden, Auburn has talented players returning on defense in Derek Mason’s first season as coordinator.

For the past several seasons the strength of Auburn has been its defense and despite a new coaching staff and scheme that should still be the case in 2021.

New defensive coordinator Derek Mason will have a talented group that is also returning a ton of production. The Tigers will have five of their top seven tacklers from a season ago have returned and the top six in tackles for loss and four in sacks are also back.

While Mason will have limited time with the players and the defense will look quite different, the level of production should not take a step back from the Kevin Steele defenses that were a staple of Auburn over the past several years.

Here is a look at the top five players on the defensive side of the ball ahead of the 2021 season.

Auburn safety Smoke Monday announces he will return for his senior season

Auburn’s All-SEC safety and owner of the coolest name in all of college football Smoke Monday announced via Instagram Wednesday that he will return to Auburn for his senior season. This season he recorded 73 total tackles, one sack, one forced …

Auburn’s All-SEC safety and owner of the coolest name in all of college football Smoke Monday announced via Instagram Wednesday that he will return to Auburn for his senior season.

This season he recorded 73 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and two interceptions for 131 yards including one touchdown for 100 yards against Tennessee.

His return will bring much needed veteran leadership to a defensive unit that struggled to find an identity in the wake of losing All-American DT Derrick Brown and second team All-American DE Marlon Davidson.

In his announcement, Monday thanked former HC Gus Malzahn and also stated, “I would also like to thank Coach Harsin for being real with me and understanding the hardship that this team has went through and providing us the space to finish out the season. I believe he will do great things at Auburn.”