2020 Senior Bowl: Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts and 5 players to watch

The SEC just has better players than the rest of the Power 5 combined. Sure, there are other Power 5 institutions with a ton of NFL talent, such as the Clemson Tigers of the ACC. However, few programs can shake what the Auburn Tigers have on the defensive side of the ball. The player to watch from that SEC West school in this game is defensive end Marlon Davidson.

We know that Davidson’s college teammate in defensive tackle Derrick Brown is poised to be a top-10 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Brown is probably not falling past the Carolina Panthers at No. 7 if they don’t go with a quarterback with their top-10 selection. Davidson stands a great chance at being a first-round pick as well, albeit in the latter part of the first round.

In short, Davidson plays along the defensive line very much in the same way as Jabari Zuniga does with the Florida Gators. Davidson was healthier than Zuniga in 2019, so that will give him a slight tick up in terms of overall draft stock. His senior season down in The Plains was a big reason Auburn had one of the best defensive fronts in 2019.

Ultimately, Davidson won’t be the No. 1 defensive lineman on an NFL team, but he can be a tremendous No. 2 if he’s playing off a better guy at No. 1. He did incredible things playing next to Brown and Nick Coe at Auburn. We’re looking at a defensive lineman prospect who can make an immediate impact day one in the NFL.