But you can now throw another name in that mix of a monstrous NFL draft class for receivers, though his name won’t likely be called as high: Auburn junior wide receiver Darvin Adams.
Despite Adams making no formal announcement, Auburn athletic department spokesman Kirk Sampson confirmed Monday that Adams had applied for the draft and will not return for his senior year.
“It’s a real big year for receivers, and I think he’s a late-round guy,” said Mike Detillier, editor of NFL Draft Report. “What you like about Darvin is he’s a speed receiver. He has pretty good length, but he’s a little inconsistent catching the football, and he’s rail thin. Physically, he’s going to have to get much stronger.
“He would have been much better off coming back for his senior season at Auburn where he could have gotten physically stronger and gotten better from a consistency standpoint.”
While Adams didn’t speak publicly about his announcement, his decision to leave early certainly could have been impacted by the unknown at the quarterback position. Auburn’s Heisman Trophy winning signal caller Cam Newton also bolted early for the riches of professional football.
Adams will enter the NFL after a successful career as an Auburn Tiger.
He led the Tigers in receptions each of the last two seasons and finished his career ranked third in touchdown receptions (17) and sixth in both receptions (115) and yards (1,978).
Out of high school, Adams Ranked 48th nationally (Rivals.com) and was relatively quiet during his freshman year. He began to flourish under the offensive system brought in by Auburn coach Gene Chizik and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn over the last two seasons.
Adams caught 112 passes for 1,960 yards and 17 touchdowns over his sophomore and junior seasons.
With Adams’ early departure, the Tigers lose their top two receivers from this season as Terrell Zachery was a senior.
Adams and Zachery accounted for 49 percent of the Tigers’ receptions this season and 52 percent of Auburn’s receiving yards.
Junior Emory Blake, who caught 33 passes for 554 yards and eight touchdowns, is the Tigers’ leading returning receiver.
Charles Bennett covers Auburn University sports for The Star.
