Auburn Tigers News: WR selected in CFL Draft, Seahawks on choosing Auburn DB duo

Tuesday night the Canadian Football League held their draft, and former Auburn football wide receiver Nick Mardner was selected as the #2 overall pick in the first round by the Ottawa Redbacks.

Mardner spent only one season on the Plains, transferring from Cincinatti for the 2023 season. Though he had previously worked with Auburn wide receivers coach Marcus Davis and was expected to add veteran leadership to the group, Mardner was never able to break into the rotation and played in only four games last season with no receptions.

Mardner was also invited to the New York Giants’ rookie minicamp next week.

Over the weekend, five former Auburn football players were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, but two will continue to be teammates as the begin their professional careers. The Seattle Seahawks picked both Nehemiah Pritchett (round five, #136 overall) and DJ James (round six, #192 overall).

The Seattle Seahawks’ general manager John Schneider joked that the team scouted only defensive backs at Auburn, but went on to say that they chose the pair because they were truly the best picks available at the time.

“It wasn’t necessarily scheme, quite honestly,” Schneider said, per AL.com. “It was just the skill set. With Pritchett, the speed. DJ, he can play nickel, he can play outside, too. It wasn’t necessarily a scheme evaluation. They’re both talented cover guys.

“There’s things that both of them need to clean up, and once they get here they’ll understand that, and they’ll have a clear vision for where they’re headed.”

He went on to say that both players will have to come in a compete for their spot but that the Seahawks expect them to make an immediate impact on the team.