Draft buzz: Auburn CB Nehemiah Pritchett accepts NFL Combine invite
Auburn senior corner Nehemiah Pritchett has been invited to the NFL Combine and has accepted the invite. Pritchett will perform and be tested at the best showcase for the NFL on Feb. 29 – Mar. 3.
Pritchett played for five years at Auburn and appeared in 50 games during his career. He had 115 tackles, 24 pass breakups, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble in his career.
In 2023 as a fifth year senior Pritchett saw action in 9 games while playing 471 snaps. He logged 20 tackles, 4 assists, and made 8 stops. In coverage Pritchett had 3 pass breakups, one interception, and surrendered an outstanding QB rating when targetted of 54.8.
Strengths and weaknesses
STRENGTHS
- Fluid mover with decent speed and his length allows him to cover effectively downfield
- Has good awareness and quick feet. Fluid backpedal, aggressive attacking the receiver from the snap, and flashes spectacular ball skills.
- Has the length and speed to emerge as a starter two or three years down the line.
- Anticipation skills and explosive, downhill burst could make him a star in zone-based scheme.
- Effective out of the slot, showing the instincts and quickness to mirror when the receiver has a two-way go. Pritchett has good instincts and awareness when playing off, showing good route recognition and anticipation when breaking on the ball.
- Has a nice, low backpedal and shows the click-and-close ability to play off his man. Pritchett also has the good long speed to turn and run as a press coverage guy and the powerful hands to disrupt receivers early in the route
WEAKNESSES
- Tends to play conservatively and give too much cushion when playing off.
- Isn’t great in route recognition when he’s facing the action, is hesitant and susceptible to double moves, and too often gets unnecessarily handsy when playing trail position
- Inconsistent getting off of blocks. Can be a step slow to react when a quarterback comes back to his side of the field late in progression.
More on the 2024 NFL Draft
The 2024 NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Michigan, with the first round on Thursday, April 25, the second and third rounds on Friday, April 26, and the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday, April 27.
Players will have the opportunity to solidify their draft stock at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana from February 26 through March 4.
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The three-day event will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on ESPN and NFL Network.
To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility.
Last season, 69 players were granted special eligibility for the 2023 NFL Draft. 13 underclassmen who had completed their college degrees were also deemed eligible to be selected.
The deadline to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft is on January 15. NFL teams will receive a full list of eligible players in the class on January 19.
