Auburn Professional Athletes

Four Auburn alumni headlined a turbulent NFL preseason week, with a trade landing one Tiger in Miami, an injury sidelining another in Houston, a roster bubble threatening a seven-year veteran in New York, and a kicking competition heating up in New Orleans.

Jarquez Hunter Heads to South Beach

The biggest Auburn move of the week came via trade. The Los Angeles Rams sent running back Jarquez Hunter to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for wide receiver Tutu Atwell, reuniting Atwell with the team that originally drafted him. Hunter — a second-year back out of Auburn — had flashed enough in the preseason to draw interest, rushing for 68 yards and a touchdown in L.A.'s 34–0 blowout of the Saints in Preseason Week 2 before the deal went through. In Miami, he joins a backfield that already includes fellow Auburn alum Malik Willis at quarterback, giving the Dolphins a notable War Eagle presence in the skill positions.

Braden Smith's Foot Scare in Houston

The week took a darker turn for offensive tackle Braden Smith, who was carted off the field during the Texans' joint practice with the Panthers on Wednesday. Initial concern was significant, but the team later confirmed Smith sustained a plantar fascia injury — painful, but not season-ending. He will miss time, however, which is a real blow for a Houston offensive line counting on him as a starter. Head coach DeMeco Ryans offered no timeline when he spoke to reporters after practice.

Darius Slayton on the Roster Bubble in New York

Seven seasons in New York may be coming to an end for wide receiver Darius Slayton. With the Giants' roster cuts looming, multiple reports indicate Slayton is in danger of not surviving the final cut. The timing is notable: much of the attention in New York's receiver room has been focused on Odell Beckham Jr.'s return to the franchise, and Slayton — drafted a month after OBJ was traded away from the team in 2019 — now finds himself squeezed out. A cap impact will factor into the Giants' decision. If released, Slayton would become one of the more experienced free-agent receivers available heading into the regular season.

Daniel Carlson Enters Saints' Kicking Battle

In New Orleans, the Saints have added a legitimate veteran presence to their kicker competition, signing two-time All-Pro Daniel Carlson — formerly of the Las Vegas Raiders — to compete with Charlie Smyth for the starting role. Carlson, who built one of the more consistent kicking résumés in the league during his time in Vegas, now has a chance to reclaim a starting job in a market with legitimate playoff aspirations. The signing signals the Saints aren't fully sold on Smyth heading into the regular season.

---

It's a week that cuts across every kind of NFL story — trades, injuries, roster anxiety, and positional battles — and Auburn alumni are at the center of all of it. Hunter's fresh start in Miami is the headline, but Smith's health and Slayton's roster fate carry real stakes as final cuts approach.

Auburn's NFL footprint stretched from the Patriots' practice fields to a Chargers preseason stage this week, with two Tigers making headlines for very different reasons.

Carlton Davis Back on the Field in New England

The bigger sigh of relief came out of Foxborough, where cornerback Carlton Davis returned to Patriots practice after missing time with an injury. Davis's absence had drawn attention given his role in New England's secondary rebuild, so his return — reported as a notable moment on Day 13 of training camp — offered an early reassurance to a fan base still calibrating expectations under a retooled roster. He wasn't the only name worth watching in camp that day, but for Auburn faithful tracking Davis's transition to the Patriots, seeing him back on the field mattered.

Lambert-Smith Turns Heads Against the Texans

The flashier storyline belonged to KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who used the Chargers' preseason opener against the Texans to push his name up the depth chart. Lambert-Smith was named one of six Chargers whose stock rose in the matchup, a strong early signal for a wideout competing for a roster spot in Los Angeles. Preseason stock-risers lists are earned, not handed out — Lambert-Smith's inclusion alongside other standout performers suggests he made plays that registered, not just statistically but schematically.

For a receiver who came out of Auburn with electric athleticism but needed time to develop at the pro level, a standout preseason showing against an AFC South opponent is a meaningful step.

The Bigger Picture

Two alumni, two different stages, two positive developments in the same week — that's a good week for the Auburn family in the NFL. Davis re-entering the mix as a starting-caliber corner for New England keeps him in the conversation for one of the more scrutinized secondaries in the AFC. Lambert-Smith, meanwhile, is playing for his professional life in the best possible way: by making coaches notice.

The preseason window is short and unforgiving. Both Tigers used it well.

The 2026 NFL preseason has Auburn's fingerprints all over it — from an injury reshaping a secondary in New England to a reality TV moment in Seattle, a roster battle in the Pacific Northwest, and a fresh start in New York. Four Tigers are generating real headlines this August.

Carlton Davis III's Injury Is a Problem for the Patriots

Carlton Davis III still isn't close to returning. New England head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed that Davis will miss at least another week of practice, and the ripple effects have been significant: two rookies have leapfrogged up the depth chart, earning first-team defensive reps in his absence. The Patriots have also worked out an undrafted rookie cornerback to shore up the depth, underscoring just how much Davis's injury is straining the secondary. For a team rebuilding under Vrabel, losing a veteran corner this early in camp is a genuine concern — and Davis needs to get healthy fast to reclaim his standing.

Derick Hall's Hard Knocks Moment

Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall became one of the early talking points of HBO's new "Hard Knocks" season after a training camp fight involving Hall and teammate Bryce Cabeldue was caught on camera. Hall addressed the incident directly, saying he and his teammates have moved past it. Preseason drama aside, the cameras landing on Hall is a reminder of the role he's expected to play in Seattle's defense — and being featured prominently on the league's most-watched camp documentary means the spotlight will follow him all the way into the regular season.

Nehemiah Pritchett Is Fighting for His Spot

Also in Seattle, cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett is in the middle of a legitimate snaps battle. Pritchett has been identified as one of the players who needs to step up and prove himself in the 2026 preseason, with observers noting it's time for him to show the Seahawks he belongs. With Davis's injury situation in New England a reminder of how quickly secondary depth can evaporate, Pritchett knows his opportunity is real — and finite. Auburn fans will want to watch how he performs in Seattle's preseason games.

Darius Slayton's Clean Slate Under Harbaugh

Over in New York, Darius Slayton is entering his most optimistic preseason stretch in years. The longest-tenured Giant made clear that he wanted exactly the kind of demanding, disciplined head coach that John Harbaugh represents — describing what he was looking for in his fifth different head coach as something "Tom Coughlin-esque." Slayton also revealed he played through double hernias last season, which helps explain a down year that threatened to define his tenure. Under Harbaugh, he's getting a clean slate, and early indications suggest he could quickly become a favorite in the new regime. For a receiver who has outlasted multiple coaching staffs in East Rutherford, this might finally be the right fit.

Elsewhere in the brief, Jarrett Stidham is facing pressure from Sam Ehlinger for Denver's backup quarterback job — a reminder that job security is thin across the league this time of year, even for veterans.