Jan. 3, 2018
Montravius Adams (DT, Green Bay Packers)
Adams played in his seventh game of the season, but did not record a stat in the Packers' 35-11 loss to Detroit. After battling injuries throughout the year, Adams finished his rookie season with two tackles in seven games. Adams was selected with the 93rd pick in the third round of the 2017 draft. The Vienna, Ga., native became the 17th Auburn defensive tackle drafted in the common draft era, and the highest defensive tackle picked from Auburn since Nick Fairley was drafted 13th overall in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft.
Cameron Artis-Payne (RB, Carolina Panthers)
Artis-Payne rushed for 16 yards on five carries in the Panthers' 22-10 loss to Atlanta. The third-year man out of Harrisburg, Pa., finished his third regular season with 95 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. Artis Payne also recorded one catch for two yards in his 13 games this seaosn. Artis-Payne was the 34th Auburn running back drafted in the common draft era when he was selected by the Panthers in the fifth round of the 2015 draft.
Peyton Barber (RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Barber ended the season recording 71 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries while adding 18 yards receiving on two catches in Tampa Bay's 31-24 win over the Saints. Barber solidified himself as a key piece of Tampa Bay's offense, finishing as their leading rusher on the season with 423 yards and three touchdowns on 108 carries. He also had 16 receptions for 114 yards in his second season in the NFL. Barber made the Buccaneers' 53-man roster after going undrafted in 2016. The Alpharetta, Ga. native rushed for 223 yards and one touchdown in 2016. Barber also had 28 yards on 5 catches in his rookie season.
Daren Bates (LB, Tennessee Titans)
Bates saw the field, but did not record a stat in the Titans' 15-10 win over Jacksonville. Bates finished with eight tackles on the season. A special teams captain, Bates appeared in 16 games with the Raiders in 2016. The undrafted fifth-year man out of Memphis, Tenn., has compiled 45 tackles, recovered two fumbles, returned one of them for a touchdown, defended one pass and blocked one kick in his career.
Angelo Blackson (DT, Houston Texans)
Blackson received his first start of the season, but did not record a stat in the Texans' 22-13 loss to Indianapolis. In nine games of action this season, Blackson recorded nine tackles and one pass defended. The third-year man out of Bear, Del., appeared in all 16 games as a rookie for the Titans. In his career, Blackson has 33 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Blackson was drafted in the fourth round with the 100th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He and Gabe Wright became the first defensive tackle tandem to be drafted out of Auburn since Nick Fairley and Zach Clayton in 2011.
Quan Bray (WR, Indianapolis Colts)
Bray was placed on the Colts' injury reserve after week nine. The LaGrange, Ga., native finished with three receptions for 39 yards, 18 kick returns for 430 yards and 17 punt returns for 90 yards on the season. Bray is averaging 25.6 yards on 48 kick returns for a total of 1,231 yards and 7 yards on 45 punt returns for a total of 314 yards in his career. Bray's longest career kick return is 60 yards and his longest punt return is 33 yards. He has also caught six passes for 75 yards and has seven yards rushing on one attempt.
Josh Bynes (LB, Arizona Cardinals)
After not missing a game this season, Bynes missed his second game in a row with an ankle injury. The seven-year veteran finished with 36 tackles (31 solo), one sack, one interception, three pass deflections and two forced fumbles on the season. Bynes signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2011. Over his career, he's amassed 257 tackles (172 solo), 85 assisted tackles, 1.5 sacks, 17 pass deflections, two interceptions and four forced fumbles.
Sammie Coates (WR, Cleveland Browns)
Coates saw the field, but did not record a stat in the Browns' 28-24 loss to Pittsburgh. Despite battling injuries this season, Coates finished with six receptions for 70 yards (an average of 11.7 yards per catch) and five tackles. The third-year man from Leroy, Ala. has 28 receptions for 516 yards (an average of 18.4 yards per catch with a long of 72 yards), two touchdowns, four rushes for 14 yards, six kickoff returns for 150 yards and 13 tackles in his career. Coates became the first Auburn wide receiver drafted since 2007 when the Steelers selected him in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Shon Coleman (OT, Cleveland Browns)
Earning his 16th consecutive start of the season, Coleman helped pave the way for 374 yards of total offense in the Browns' 28-24 loss to Pittsburgh. The Olive Branch, Miss., native started every game this season. Coleman was the first Tiger taken off the board in the 2016 NFL Draft, going 76th overall in the third round. As a rookie, Coleman helped the Browns finish second in the NFL with a 4.89 rushing average, the highest by Cleveland since 1966.
Blake Countess (DB, LA Rams)
Countess recorded his first start of the season and recorded three tackles (two solo) in the Rams' 34-14 loss to San Francisco. The second-year man out of Baltimore, Md. has amassed 25 total tackles (19 solo) and one interception while playing in every game this season. Countess was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 21st pick of the sixth round in the 2016 draft. He was the first Auburn defensive back drafted since Walter McFadden in 2010. He had 20 tackles and 8 assists in his first year in 2016.
Karlos Dansby (LB, Arizona Cardinals)
The 14-year veteran finished his season by recording six tackles (three solo) in the Cardinals' 26-24 win over Seattle. Dansby had another standout season, finishing the year with 95 tackles (74 solo), four pass deflections and one interception, en route to becoming one of only five players to join the exclusive 40 sack and 20 interception club. The Birmingham, Ala. native has racked up 1,417 tackles (1,073 solo), 43.0 sacks, 20 interceptions (six returned for touchdowns), 73 pass deflections and 18 forced fumbles during his time with the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.
Nick Fairley (DT, New Orleans Saints)
Fairley missed the entirety of the 2017 season with a heart issue. The former first round draft pick and Lombardi Award winner from Mobile, Alabama has racked up 170 tackles (113 solo), 20.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles over his six years in the NFL. [IR]
Dee Ford (LB, Kansas City Chiefs)
Ford was placed on the Chiefs' injury reserve during week 14 after missing action since week nine. On the season, Ford racked up 13 tackles, two sacks, one pass defended and one forced fumble. The Odenville, Ala., native had 38 tackles (25 solo), 10 sacks and a forced fumble last season. Ford became the highest-drafted Auburn defensive end since Gerald Robinson in 1986 when the Chiefs selected him 23rd overall in the 2014 draft. Ford has 82 tackles in his career, including 17.5 sacks, six pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
Rudy Ford (DB, Arizona Cardinals)
Ford's rookie season was ended early with a knee injury that landed him on the IR after playing in all of the first 11 games. The rookie cornerback out of Big Cove, Ala. ended the year with 5 solo tackles. Ford was drafted with the 24th pick of the sixth round by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2017 NFL draft. He and Joshua Holsey are the first pair of defensive backs from Auburn to be drafted in the same year since Pat Lee and Jonathan Wilhite in 2008.
Corey Grant (RB, Jacksonville Jaguars)
Grant had 3 kickoff returns for 58 yards in the Jaguars' 15-10 loss to Tennessee. Grant has 30 rushes for 248 yards (an average of 8.3 yards per carry), including two runs over 50 yards, with a long of 58 yards and two touchdowns this season. Grant also has three receptions for 41 yards (an average of 13.7 yards per catch), 19 kick returns for 473 yards (an average of 24.9 yards per return) and three tackles on the season. Over the past two years, Grant has averaged 6.7 yards per carry. That mark is second in the NFL in yards per carry with a minimum of 50 carries. The third-year man from Opelika, Ala., has 40 kick returns for 961 yards (an average of 24 yards per kickoff) with a long of 68, has made nine tackles and has nine receptions for 89 yards (an average of 9.9 yards per catch) and a touchdown in his career. Grant also has 68 rushes for 414 yards (an average of 6.1 yards per carry), including three rushes over 50 yards, and three touchdowns with a long of 58 yards in his career.
Josh Harris (LS, Atlanta Falcons)
Harris served as a captain and long snapper in Atlanta's 22-10 win over the Panthers. The Carrolton, Ga. native, finishing his sixth season, has served as Atlanta's long snapper in all 96 games of his NFL career.
Josh Holsey (DB, Washington Redskins)
Holsey played in the final game of his rookie season, but did not record a stat in the Redskins' 18-10 loss to the Giants. Ford played in 12 games this season and recorded two tackles. The Fairburn, Ga. product was drafted with the 17th pick of the seventh round in the 2017 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins. He and Rudy Ford are the first pair of defensive backs from Auburn to be drafted in the same year since Pat Lee and Jonathan Wilhite in 2008.
Jonathan Jones (DB, New England Patriots)
Jones recorded five tackles in the Patriots 26-6 win over the New York Jets. On the season, Jones has 44 tackles, eight pass breakups, one sack and one game-clinching interception. The Carrollton, Ga., native made the Patriots' 53-man roster after going undrafted in 2016. Jones went on to make 14 tackles, force one fumble and defend one pass in his rookie season. In his career, Jones now has 58 tackles, nine passes defended, one sack, one interception and one forced fumble.
Brandon King (DB, New England Patriots)
King saw the field, but did not record a stat in the Patriots' 26-6 win over the New York Jets. The Alabaster, Ala. native has eight tackles and one safety on the season. In his career, King has compiled 30 combined tackles, forced one fumble, forced one safety and appeared on special teams. King was picked up by New England after going undrafted in 2015.
DaVonte Lambert (DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Lambert missed the entirety of the 2017 season due to injury. Lambert is currently on the Buccaneers' IR. Lambert made the Buccaneers 53-man roster after not being drafted in 2016. The Keysville, Ga., native had 48 career tackles at Auburn.
Chris Landrum (LB, San Diego Chargers)
Landrum did not see the field in the Chargers' 30-10 win over Oakland. Landrum spent this season on the Chargers' injury reserve because of a shoulder injury. Last season, the Meridian, Miss., native saw action in 10 games, recording four tackles and a sack.
Devaroe Lawrence (DT, New Orleans Saints)
Lawrence signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent this offseason. The Greenville, S.C. native did not seen the field this season as he is currently on the IR. Lawrence made 45 career tackles during his time on The Plains.
Carl Lawson (DE, Cincinnati Bengals)
Lawson recorded one tackle in the Bengals' 31-27 win over Baltimore. The Alpharetta, Ga. native finished his rookie season with 16 tackles, including an NFL rookie-best and top 20 overall mark of 8.5 sacks. Lawson finished with the fourth-highest pass rush productivity grade in the NFL by Pro Football Focus with a 13.5. Lawson also finished with an 80.8 overall grade by Pro Football Focus, the sixth-highest rookie rating and highest rookie lineman rating. Lawson also finished with 60 quarterback pressures, 17 more than any other rookie pass rusher this season. Going along with that, Lawson also finished with 20 quarterback hits, which marks him 12th in the NFL, despite receiving over 100 fewer snaps than everyone in front of him. Lawson was drafted with the ninth pick in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He is the first Auburn defensive end drafted since Dee Ford was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 23rd pick of the first round in the 2014 NFL draft.
Ricardo Louis (WR, Cleveland Browns)
Louis made two tackles in the Browns' 28-24 loss to Pittsburgh. Louis finished the season with 27 receptions for 357 receiving yards (an average of 13.2 yards per catch) and five tackles while making nine starts. That total brings him up to 45 receptions for 562 yards (and average of 12.5 yards per catch) and 14 tackles in his career. During his rookie season, Louis caught 18 passes for 205 yards (an average of 11.4 yards per catch) while making three starts. The Miami, Fla., native also had nine kick returns for 164 yards, nine tackles, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries in his rookie season. The Browns selected Louis in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Louis and Sammie Coates (2015 third round selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers) were the first pair of Auburn wide receivers to be drafted in consecutive years since Ben Obamanu (2006), Devin Aromashodu (2006) and Courtney Taylor (2007).
Cam Newton (QB, Carolina Panthers)
Newton finished his seventh NFL season completing 14-of-34 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown, and rushed 11 times for 59 yards in the Panthers' 22-10 loss to Atlanta. Newton led his team to an 11-5 season and second-place finish in the NFC South. He will lead the Panthers against New Orleans in the NFC Wild Card. Newton finished the season completing 291-of-492 passes for 3,302 yards and 22 touchdowns. He led the Panthers in rushing yards with 754 and six touchdowns on 139 carries becoming the only player in NFL history to rush for 500 yards and five rushing touchdowns with an average of 4.8 yards per carry in six different seasons. Newton holds the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns (54 TDs) among quarterbacks, and he is sixth among all active players. He is the first player in Panthers history with 17 300-yard games and is the Panthers' career leader with 158 touchdown passes. In 2015, the College Park, Ga., native became the first player in NFL history to pass for 30 touchdowns and rush for 10 touchdowns in a single season. He is the first player in NFL history to start his career with five consecutive seasons with over 3,000 passing yards and 500 yards rushing, this year being his sixth season with that stat line. In his career, Newton has compiled 25,074 yards through the air with 158 touchdowns and has 4,320 yards on the ground with 54 touchdowns. The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner became Auburn's fourth No. 1 overall pick when Carolina selected him in the 2011 draft.
Cody Parkey (PK, Miami Dolphins)
Parkey made one field goals, one extra point and successfully converted his fourth onside kick of the season out of five attempts in the Dolphins' 22-16 loss to Buffalo. Parkey's four successful onside kicks are the most recovered by a team since the stat was first recorded in 2007. The Jupiter, Fla., native finished the season going 21-for-23 on field goals with a long of 54 yards, 26-for-29 on extra points and kicking 28 touchbacks. Those marks make him fourth in the AFC in field goal accuracy, first in the NFL in opponent field position after a kickoff and tied the Dolphins' record for best field goal percentage in a season. Parkey was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in week two following a performance in which he made four field goals, including a game-winning 54 yard kick. Parkey has converted 76-of-88 field goal attempts with a long of 54 yards and is 107-for-111 on extra points in his career. Parkey has also averaged 62.6 yards per kickoff with 111 touchbacks and even four tackles at the conclusion of his fourth season. Parkey had one of the best rookie seasons by a kicker in NFL history in 2014 as he set the NFL rookie scoring record with 150 points and was named to the 2015 Pro Bowl.
Jay Prosch (FB, Houston Texans)
Prosch had one reception for nine yards and helped pave the way for 209 total yards of offense in the Texans' 22-13 loss to Indianapolis. Prosch finished the season with four receptions for 31 yards and five starts. The Saraland, Ala., native has 10 carries for 42 yards and six receptions for 61 yards in his career. On special teams, Prosch has also racked up 17 tackles. The former Tiger H-Back was a sixth-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Greg Robinson (OL, Detroit Lions)
Robinson was placed on the Lion's IR after suffering an ankle injury, cutting his fourth NFL season short. Robinson has started in 48 games since he joined the NFL in 2014. The Thibodaux, La., native was drafted second overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, the highest-drafted offensive lineman in Auburn history. He played in all 16 games of his rookie season with 12 starts.
Pat Sims (DL, Cincinnati Bengals)
Sims recorded three tackles in the Bengals' 31-27 win over Baltimore. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native finished the season with 25 tackles and half a sack with eight starts in 14 games. Sims had 37 tackles and 1.5 sacks last season. A third-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, Sims was the first Auburn defensive tackle drafted at the time since Mike Pelton was drafted in the fifth round by the Chiefs in the 1995 NFL draft. Sims has compiled 295 tackles, nine sacks, three pass breakups and one interception in his ten-year career.
Neiko Thorpe (DB, Seattle Seahawks)
Thorpe recorded one solo tackle in the Seahawks' 26-24 loss to the Cardinals. Thorpe, finishing his second season as a Seahawk and fifth season in the NFL, recorded 12 tackles (10 solo), two pass deflections and a fumble recovery playing in 14 games. Last season, he appeared in 15 games and compiled 19 tackles (13 solo). Thorpe has made 84 tackles (72 solo) in his NFL career over 5 seasons with the Seahawks, Raiders and Chiefs.
C.J. Uzomah (TE, Cincinnati Bengals)
Uzomah had one reception for seven yards and a tackle in the Bengals' 31-27 win over Baltimore. Uzomah finished the season with 10 receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown along with 12 tackles on the season. The Suwanee, Ga., native had eight starts, one tackle, 25 receptions for 234 yards (average of 9.4 per catch) with a long of 54 yards and a touchdown last season. Uzomah now has 36 receptions for 330 yards and two touchdowns along with 15 tackles in his career. Uzomah became the first Auburn tight end drafted since Walter Reeves (1989) when the Bengals selected him in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Christian Westerman (OG, Cincinnati Bengals)
Westerman received his second consecutive start as he helped pave the way for 359 total yards in the Bengals' 31-27 win over Baltimore. The Chandler, Ariz. native saw action and started in two games this season. Westerman was being picked up in the fifth round (No. 161 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. Westerman is the first former Auburn guard to be drafted since Ben Grubbs was taken by the Ravens in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft.
Jermaine Whitehead, (FS, Green Bay Packers)
Whitehead recorded one solo tackle in the Packers' 35-11 loss to Detroit. After being called up from the practice squad in week six, Whitehead made an impact on the Packers' defense, recording 11 tackles (eight solo) and a pass deflection in his first NFL season. Whitehead signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2015. Whitehead split time in his rookie season between the 49ers and Ravens, but has been with the Packers since 2016. Whitehead recorded 218 tackles, nine interceptions and two touchdowns in his three years as a starter for Auburn.
Other former Tigers on NFL practice squads: Cassanova McKinzy (Rams), Chad Slade (Texans), Gimel President (Texans), Gabe Wright (Dolphins), Robenson Therezie (Bengals)
Report compiled by Auburn media relations student assistants T.J. Stricklin and Joseph Hooven