AUBURN — Auburn football made the wrong kind of history in the 2024 NFL Draft.

For the first time since 2003, the Tigers didn't see a former player selected in any of the first four rounds. It's only the third time that's occurred over the last four decades; Auburn didn't have a single draft pick in 2003, and tight end Fred Baxter was first off the board as a fifth-round choice in 1993.

The Tigers, after an upcoming 2024 season in which coach Hugh Freeze hopes to lead Auburn to a winning record on the Plains for the first time since 2020, will look to change their draft luck next year. Of the scholarship players currently on Auburn's roster, 45 are eligible to take the professional route after the season. They all won't, of course, but that group of nearly four dozen players could theoretically do so.

Here's who we think are the five most likely picks in 2025:

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5. LB Eugene Asante

There wasn't a player on Auburn's roster who directly benefited more from the coaching change of Bryan Harsin to Freeze than linebacker Eugene Asante. The former North Carolina transfer totaled one tackle in 2022. In 2023, Asante's time on the field exploded — his defensive snaps rose from five in 2022 to 491 in 2023, per Pro Football Focus — and he took advantage by tallying 86 tackles and five sacks. His pass coverage is likely his biggest area for improvement, but his motor and speed should serve his NFL hopes well.

4. RB Jarquez Hunter

Expectations were high for running back Jarquez Hunter going into last season. He had spent the previous two campaigns backing up Tank Bigsby, and his 6.5 average yards per carry through his freshman and sophomore years had fans excited for what he could do as the featured back. He didn't quite live up to the lofty predictions some had for him, but he still finished with 909 rushing yards and his 5.7 yards per attempt ranked sixth in the SEC. Running backs don't get picked at the top of the draft much anymore, but someone of Hunter's skillset could be a valuable mid-round pick.

3. CB Keionte Scott

Keionte Scott spent much of his time in the nickel last season. That's set to change in 2024, as the California native has moved outside and plans to play on the boundary in his fifth year. If successful, showcasing that kind of versatility as a defensive back could help Scott's draft stock. Scott has recorded 97 total tackles, nine pass deflections and an interception in his two-year Auburn tenure.

2. TE Rivaldo Fairweather

The 2023 season was one for the record books for tight end Rivaldo Fairweather, who hauled in 38 catches for 394 yards and six touchdowns. Those stats rank No. 1, No. 2 and No. 2 for a TE in a single season in program history, respectively. Fairweather's goal in 2024? "I'm looking to really double every number I had last year," he said in February. If he's able to pull that off, he may be a first-round pick. Even if those stats just get a little bit better, and he works on his drops, he could still be a highly-coveted player.

1. BUCK Jalen McLeod

Playing a premium position like pass rusher will help buck linebacker Jalen McLeod in the draft. It also helps that he's talented. The former Appalachian State transfer didn't skip a beat in his first season with the Tigers, collecting 48 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2023. The leap in competition going from the Sun Belt to the SEC didn't seem to have much of an affect on McLeod, who finished with one more pressure in 2023 (38) than he did with the Mountaineers in 2022 (37), according to PFF.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football: 5 players most likely to be picked in 2025 NFL Draft