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The NFL draft is an annual event every offseason where college football players are selected and chosen to join the pro ranks. These players can be as young as 20 years old in some instances, as a player only needs to be 3 years removed from high school to be eligible to be drafted.
Who is the youngest player in the NFL?
The youngest player in the NFL this season was Miami Dolphins cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, aged just 21 years old.
Igbinoghene played his college career for Auburn from 2017 to 2019. He started as a wide receiver but switched to cornerback in time for his sophomore year and that's when he really began to make a name for himself.
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The Alabama native was a physical cornerback in college. He played the game hard, always happy to spring into action to chase down receivers, often able to shut them down in coverage due to his bursts of speed and lateral agility.
Igbinoghene also proved himself to be more than capable at the line of scrimmage. He tackled well for Auburn, as he was able to dart across the line and make big hits on opposing runners.
Although Igbinoghene only played cornerback for 2 seasons, his potential ceiling seemed astronomical, prompting the Miami Dolphins into action during the 2020 NFL Draft when they took him in the very first round with the 30th overall pick.
So how did Igbinoghene fare in his first season in the NFL? Was he worth such a high draft pick?
The honest answer is not so well; especially when you look at some of the fine rookie talent drafted into the NFL after him; the likes of RB Clyde Edwards Helaire (Chiefs); RB D'Andre Swift (Lions); S Antoine Winfield Jr (Buccaneers); QB Jalen Hurts (Eagles), and S Jermey Chinn (Panthers). These players made a big difference to their respective teams at different points over the season; it's hard to say the same about Igbinoghene.
However, given the Miami player's young age, and relative lack of experience at his position, it's much too early to call Igbinoghene a flop. Plus, the rookie did show signs of his potential, coming up with big plays like a pivotal fumble recovery during the week 2 defeat against the Bills.
One thing is for sure: Dolphins fans will be hoping for a lot more output on defense from Igbinoghene next season. The Auburn product is definitely an athlete, and he showed glimpses of his potential in 2020 (11 tackles; 4 pass deflections) but will need to cement a starting spot to warrant that 1st round pick in the NFL draft.
