Auburn Football: Top 3 way-too-early 2022 breakout candidates

2. Jaylin Simpson, CB

If there’s one position for Auburn that feels nearly impossible to predict, it’s cornerback.

Between returning senior, Nehemiah Pritchett, Oregon transfer D.J. James, and top-rated JUCO product, Keionte Scott. You don’t have to look far to see the depth that lies in the Tigers’ backfield. Altogether forming one of the deadliest secondaries in the entire SEC, if not the country.

The elephant in the room is that former All-American, and one of the top cornerbacks in the upcoming NFL draft, Roger McCreary, is no longer on the roster. Meaning that somebody will need to take over as the team’s shutdown corner for the Tigers’ to hold their own against a loaded SEC.

With Pritchett likely to either revert back to his role at nickel (in which he dominated) or line up as a starter, Jaylin Simpson is the obvious choice to fill the shoes of McCreary in 2022.

Despite battling several injuries over the course of his career in the Plains, Simpson is by far and away the most talented corner on the roster. He’s also in the best position to slide in as the team’s No. 1 replacement at the top of the depth chart.

Outside of the fact that he boasts a solid frame capable of matching up against bigger, deep-ball receivers (6-foot-1, 175 pounds). He is also coming off a 2021 season in which he posted 27 tackles, 4 passes defended, and one takeaway through the air.  Which is pretty impressive given that it was his first year experiencing legitimate playing time.

There’s no doubt that recent transfer, and Mobile, Alabama-product, James, will step in and make plays, as will Pritchett. But the defense will need somebody to make up for the loss of production left behind by McCreary, and Simpson seems primed to take on that challenge.

Another factor that bodes well for Simpson is that Auburn has built up somewhat of a reputation in developing All-SEC-level corners, one after another. Before Roger McCreary, there was Noah Igbinoghene, and prior to him, there was Jamel Dean (who took over for Carlton Davis).

Simply put, every time one Auburn corner leaves for the NFL, another steps up. So one is destined to do the same in 2022, and I think there’s good reason to believe that it’ll be Jaylin Simpson.