Auburn linebacker Xavier Atkins absolutely blew up last season, leading the SEC in tackles for loss with a ridiculous 17 and grabbing nine sacks, good for third in the conference. The guy became a household name in college football, and now NFL scouts are all over him, but not always for the reasons you’d expect. Everyone’s talking about how he makes plays, but also how he measures up.
“Rabid” Pursuit Skills Are Making NFL Scouts Drool
Look, Atkins is a playmaker, pure and simple. Dane Brugler of The Athletic, in his NFL Draft Summer Scouting series, ranked Atkins as the No. 3 draft-eligible linebacker out there right now. What’s he love? Atkins’ incredible ball-carrier pursuit skills. Brugler literally called them “rabid,” and if you saw the Arkansas tape, you know exactly what he means. Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green, who usually runs all over defenses, was held to just 14 rushing yards against Auburn. Why? Mostly because Atkins was spying him all game. That’s a guy who can dominate a game. Atkins wrapped up that Arkansas performance with 13 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble. The dude just flies to the football and arrives like a ton of bricks, no matter where he lines up. That kind of intensity is exactly what you want on your defense.
The Brutal Truth: Size is the Only Thing Holding Him Back
Here’s where it gets complicated. Every linebacker in Brugler’s rankings had a weakness, and for Atkins, it’s a big one he can’t control: his size. At 6-0, 210 pounds, he’s just not hitting the NFL’s “ideal” measurements, and that’s preventing him from climbing higher on draft boards. It’s frustrating when a guy clearly has the talent and the game-changing ability, but gets docked for something like height. Brugler is openly hoping Atkins keeps playing “bigger” than his frame, proving he can still dominate despite the measurables. His NFL projection is messy because of that size and how Auburn used him, but make no mistake, the league likes this kid. Right now, Clemson’s Sammy Brown and Georgia’s Chris Cole are ahead of Atkins in the preseason rankings, purely because of that size constraint.
Xavier Atkins has one mission this upcoming season: absolutely crush it and show every single scout that his size doesn’t matter. He needs to leapfrog Brown and Cole and become Auburn’s second straight first-round pick, following Keldric Faulk, who just went No. 31 overall to the Titans in the 2026 NFL Draft. Can he do it? We’re about to find out, and it’s going to be appointment viewing.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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