Auburn defensive stars taken on final day of 2023 NFL Draft

Auburn has become a pipeline for defensive players going into the NFL over the last few years and that continued during the final rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft. After Derick Hall was drafted in the second round Friday night, Auburn saw two more defensive stars selected Saturday.

Defensive tackle Colby Wooden was the first Auburn player off the board on day three. Wooden was selected with the 14th pick of the fourth round (116th overall) by the Green Bay Packers. He is the first Auburn player to be drafted by the Packers since 2017 when Green Bay selected another interior defensive lineman in Montravius Adams.

Wooden started for three years on the defensive line, playing in multiple spots across the defensive front. He played in 40 games across four seasons with the Tigers, recording 30 tackles for a loss and 15 sacks.

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Linebacker Owen Pappoe was drafted late in the fourth round, taken with the 168th overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals.

In four seasons with Auburn, Pappoe played in 41 games and recorded 256 total tackles, leading the team with 91 as a senior. He had two interceptions and forced three fumbles during his college career.

Since 2020, Auburn has had 15 total players drafted into the NFL with 10 of them coming from the defensive side of the ball.

Auburn kicker Anders Carlson was taken in the sixth round by the Packers with the 207th overall pick. He becomes the fifth Auburn kicker to ever be selected in the NFL Draft, following in the footsteps of his brother Daniel who was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2018.