Roger McCreary shares why he had a chip on his shoulder at Auburn

Roger McCreary should feel great heading into his professional career knowing the Tennessee Titans — led by defensive mastermind Mike Vrabel — traded up to snag the former Auburn cornerback with the 35th overall pick of the 2022 draft.

In a video interview with Tennessee media, McCreary was asked about playing at Auburn with a chip on his shoulder, considering the three-star prospect had very few Power 5 offers but the Tigers took a chance and it cashed in.

“It was kind of hard for me a little bit because I was a lower ranked guy coming out of high school I was just a 3-star, so I had to trust in me and put that chip on my shoulder going to the next level into college,” Roger McCreary said.

The former Auburn star believes he’s an ideal fit for the Titans’ defensive scheme and feels more prepared than ever to thrive on football’s biggest stage.

“I didn’t ever know or imagine it would happen like this, but coming into my senior year I had great confidence and it led to a great season,” the former Tigers defensive back said.

“And my confidence went higher, and I feel like I’m ready to take that confidence with me to the NFL.” 

Bucky Brooks pegged Roger McCreary as top five corner for 2022

McCreary totaled 79 tackles, including 9.0 tackles for loss, and five interceptions at Auburn as a junior and senior. He received first-team All-SEC honors from the coaches for his efforts and appeared at the Reese’s Senior Bowl where he caught the eyes of NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks. 

“McCreary is a stingy cover corner with a game ideally suited to play in a press-heavy scheme,” Brooks, who challenged other analysts that noted concerns about size and arm length while ranking the Auburn star as a top five cornerback for the 2022 NFL Draft. “He is an aggressive “bump-and-run” defender with the speed, quickness, and athleticism to shadow premier receivers at the line of scrimmage.

Coming out of high school, the NFL might have seemed like a longshot for McCreary. He was the 100th-ranked cornerback in the nation. The next level wasn’t even on his radar when he first got to Auburn and his only other power five offers were from NC State and Duke, along with schools like Tulane, Western Kentucky, South Alabama and UAB. 

Now? It’s obvious the Titans’ — led by Vrabel who is considered a top defensive mind — believe Roger McCreary could be the missing piece needed to turn recent trips to the playoffs into a run for the Lombardi Trophy.