Three Auburn players taken in second round of NFL draft

Three Auburn players taken in second round of NFL draftThree Auburn players taken in second round of NFL draft

April 27, 2018

By Greg Ostendorf
AuburnTigers.com

AUBURN, Ala. ââ'¬" The NFL draft is about achieving your dream. On Friday, Auburn saw three former players achieve that dream as Braden Smith, Kerryon Johnson and Carlton Davis were all selected in the second round of the 2018 draft.

Here's a recap of the night and a look at where each player is headed.

Braden Smith selected second round by Indianapolis Colts

Smith didn't have to wait long to hear his name called Friday night. The senior offensive lineman was the first Auburn player drafted, going in the second round at No. 37 overall to the Indianapolis Colts.

It's the highest an Auburn player has been drafted since Greg Robinson (No. 2, St. Louis Rams) and Dee Ford (No. 23, Kansas City Chiefs) both went in the first round during the 2014 NFL draft and the highest an Auburn guard has been drafted since Ben Grubbs was a first-round pick (No. 29) of the Baltimore Ravens in 2007.

In four years on the Plains, Smith appeared in 53 games with 41 consecutive starts. As a senior, he earned First-Team All-America honors from the AP and CBS. He was first-team All-SEC and was the winner of the SEC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy.

"I think Braden Smith is the most underrated of this (Auburn) group," ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. "I liked the way he tested, the way he played. I think you get into the third round for Braden Smith, and you get a plug-and-play starter as a rookie."

Smith is the first Auburn player drafted by the Colts since Jerraud Powers in 2009.

Detroit Lions take Kerryon Johnson in second round

After celebrating Smith's selection in a room full of friends and family Friday night, Johnson got his own phone call not long after when the Detroit Lions called and informed the Auburn running back that they'd be selecting him with the 43rd pick in the second round.

"It's crazy," Johnson said. "You get the phone call and you're still trying to process what's really going on. This is what you worked for for 20 years, just getting that one moment, somebody taking that one chance on you. I have to thank them for doing that, and now it's my turn to hold up my end. I've got to get up there, go to work and do what I do."

Johnson is coming off a junior season in which he led the SEC with 1,391 yards rushing and 20 total touchdowns. He ran for 130 or more yards in six of the 12 games he's played, including a 167-yard performance to lead Auburn past No. 1 Georgia in November. He was later named the SEC offensive player of the year and a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award.

Johnson becomes the seventh Auburn running back drafted since 2005, and the highest drafted since Ronnie Brown and Carnell Williams went No. 2 and No. 5 overall in 200.

Carlton Davis goes to Tampa Bay Buccaneers in second round

Davis might have had to wait a little longer to hear his name called Friday night, but the Miami native is headed back to his home state to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who selected the All-SEC cornerback with the No. 63 overall pick in the second round.

As a junior this past season, Davis finished with 36 tackles, one interception, one fumble recovery, one forced and a team-high 11 passes broken up. The three-year starter, who was named to the All-SEC freshman team in 2015, earned first-team All-SEC honors and first-team All-America honors from Sports Illustrated this past season.

Davis joins former Auburn teammate Peyton Barber in Tampa Bay.

"It's good to have another Auburn Tiger come to our team," Barber said.

Davis is the fourth Auburn defensive back to be selected in the past three NFL drafts, joining the likes of Blake Countess (2016), Rudy Ford (2017) and Joshua Holsey (2017). It's the most defensive backs selected in a three-year span since 2008-10.

Davis is the first Auburn player drafted by the Buccaneers since Williams in 2005.

Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @greg_ostendorf