Former Auburn cornerback Carlton Davis, one of the top players at his position, had a few things to clear up with NFL teams.
At the NFL scouting combine, they wanted to know why he elected to skip the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, which the Tigers lost 34-27 to Central Florida.
“A lot of teams have asked me about that,” Davis said Friday. “I had a lot going on coming off of that concussion and having a huge sinus infection. I wasn’t really ready to play my A-ball game, so I decided to sit out.”
But at Auburn’s Pro Day, with all 32 teams represented, Davis wanted to show them what he could do on the field.
Davis, who’s 6-foot-1 and 204 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 and 4.5 seconds. He used his combine times in the other events, but did the positional drills.
He’s consider the best of the big cornerbacks in the draft or ranked right after Iowa’s Josh Jackson. Ohio State’s Denzel Ward, who’s smaller, is considered the top cornerback in the draft, which is set for April 26-28 in Arlington, Texas.
Davis wants to be selected in the first round of the draft.
“It would be real important for me to be able to be the first pick for a team and for them to put their trust in me to come out there and make plays from (the beginning),” said Davis, who from Miami.
Davis has his NFL pitch to teams together.
“As a person and as a player, I’m passionate about the game,” Davis said. “Hard-working and someone who wants to be consistent emotionally and physically. I bring a lot of things to table, being able to press every down. Being able to disrupt their timing. I’m one of the best corners in the draft.”
Auburn, which reached the SEC title game, before losing to Georgia, has several NFL prospects, including running backs Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway, offensive linemen Braden Smith and Austin Colson, linebacker Jeff Holland and kicker Daniel Carlson.
In all, 16 players worked out for the NFL teams.
“This is a special group, too,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “I think we have a chance to have a whole lot of guys drafted, more than any year in school history since they went to the seven-round draft.”
Smith, who lifted 225 pounds 35 times at the combine, started 41 consecutive games at right guard for the Tigers. He’s 6-6 and 310 pounds.
“Braden Smith is one of the best offensive lineman that I’ve ever coached,” Malzahn said. “He’s so consistent. He’s powerful. He’s athletic. He’s smart. He’s durable. He’s got a chance to be big time at the next level.”
Golson played in 50 games and made 39 starts. He played all five offensive line positions, but at 6-5 and 312 pounds is projected as a center or guard in the NFL.
“It’s how versatile he is and how unselfish he is,” Malzahn said about Golson. “He’s a big-time player in his own right, but for him to play all five positions last year, I know that probably wasn’t the best (thing) for him. If we would have stuck him at one position that would have helped his development, but moving forward, his versatility is second to none. He’s a super person and a very good athlete for how big he is. “
The Falcons are looking at their guard positions and evaluating guards for free agency and the draft. They interviewed Smith at the combine.
“I had a formal meeting with them,” Smith said. “There was about 10 to 12 coaches there.”
The Falcons grilled Smith on football matters.
“They just want to get a really good understanding of where you are at mentally,” Smith said. “It’s next level there. It’s really a game of inches and that could make a difference. They want to see if you can describe your own offense and they try to get a sense of your football IQ. They just want to see what type of player that you are.”
Smith believes he moves well enough to play in the Falcons’ outside zone-blocking system.
“I think I have enough athletic ability to play guard in that system,” Smith said. “I think I displayed it today. Then it’s just the ability to adapt to it.”
Smith went though position drills for the offensive line coaches on hand.
“At the combine, I had a solid performance,” Smith said. “I got what I needed to get done. I had to show some athletic ability and some explosion, especially on the jumps and on bench, I had to put up some solid numbers to show muscle endurance.”
