Auburn Pro Day Set for Tuesday: Cam Newton Under the Microscope

The Auburn University pro day is set for Tuesday afternoon, and we already have had two A-list guests RSVP:  Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera and John Elway of the Denver Broncos. Whether or not Elway will be in attendance is still in question, but he noted on his official Twitter page that the Broncos would indeed be there.

In all likelihood, they will not be the only ones there. You can probably expect 30 or more teams to show up to Auburn’s pro day, as they have quite a few players who will by vying for spots on teams this year, and a handful of very good athletes. Theoretically, they could have the top two players selected in the draft in quarterback Cam Newton and defensive tackle Nick Fairley.

Who are going to be the Auburn players under the microscope on Tuesday?

1. Cam Newton, Quarterback (Jr.)

Newton did not have a great day throwing the ball at the Combine. In fact, he was one of the worst in throwing the ball. Good thing that doesn’t really matter, as most top quarterbacks don’t even throw at the Combine for that very reason. The receivers are pretty slow, the routes and receivers are unfamiliar, and it’s an awkward environment with no defense.

I fully expect Cam to dominate the pro day tomorrow, and you’ll be hearing about how great he is after all of it. You’ll hear how accurate he was, and how strong and smooth he looked. The hype surrounding Cam Newton has yet to even begin. He will probably crush the pro day tomorrow, and his stock will skyrocket, whether fairly or not.

2. Nick Fairley, Defensive Tackle (Jr.)

Fairley was the most dominant defensive player in college football this past season. Something clicked for the junior who won the Lombardi Trophy as the nation’s best player on the defensive side of the ball. He was also instrumental in Auburn’s victory over Oregon in the BCS National Championship game. He was all over the field stopping the top ranked rushing attack in the country.

Fairley showed up at the Combine a little lighter than some would have liked. I expect him to come into the pro day at about 300 pounds, and his name will no longer be Mudd. Right now, scouts are all over Fairley’s case.

3. Mario Fannin, Running Back (Sr.)

Fannin showed excellent speed to go along with his size at the Combine. He will likely be a mid-late round selection, and teams will want to see what he can do out of the backfield as a receiver at the Auburn pro day.

4. Josh Bynes, Linebacker (Sr.)

Bynes was a pretty consistently good linebacker for Auburn, whose defense was both key for them at times this past season as well as a hindrance. Bynes was the leader in the middle, and was seemingly always around the football. He could be an eventual starter in the NFL, but will likely start off on special teams.

5. Lee Ziemba, OL  (Sr.)

Could be a right tackle or guard at the NFL level.

6. Darvin Adams, Wide Receiver (Jr.)

Maybe should not have declared early. Could go undrafted, but might be a 7th round developmental guy.