For two prospective Auburn draftees, next week’s NFL combine and the subsequent Auburn pro day in March will be pivotal in determining when, or if, their names get called at this year’s NFL Draft.

For tailback Ben Tate, his big senior season, not a workout, has all but guaranteed his status as a second-day selection, ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. said in a teleconference Wednesday.

Kiper said Tate, defensive end Antonio Coleman and cornerback Walt McFadden will all likely be selected in the draft’s later rounds. Coleman and McFadden have more to prove during workouts in front of scouts, Kiper said, while Tate, because of the depth at his position, won’t be able to show much more than he already has.

“The workout, unless you’re going to be a Chris Johnson and be in the elite speed category, running backs are going to drop, regardless,” Kiper said, referring to the NFL’s leading rusher in 2009 from the Tennessee Titans, formerly of East Carolina.

“That’s why in the fifth, sixth, seventh round you can always get good backs. You can find good backs every year at that position unlike other spots where they come off a lot earlier.”

Scouting Web sites have Tate projected as high as the third round. His stock, though, may largely be dictated by how certain teams think he’ll fit within their respective systems. Aside from Clemson’s C.J. Spiller, there are no bona fide, game-breaking running backs in this year’s class, which has Tate among a cluster of backs — many of whom hail from the SEC — that have little variation in expected value.

“The kid was productive,” Kiper said. “When he got near the goal line, he smelled the end zone and got it in there. In terms of elusiveness and change of direction, he’s not quite as shifty as some of the other guys.”

Coleman, meanwhile, will need to show scouts that he has the required quickness and speed to make the transition from defensive end to outside linebacker for 3-4 defenses, Kiper said. The SEC’s leader in tackles for loss and sacks in 2009 has been ranked anywhere from a third-round selection to undrafted on scouting Web sites, the majority of which consider him to be an outside linebacker.

“If he can just define elements of his game that need to be strong, then if he does come through with that, he can be a third- to fifth-round pick,” Kiper said.

“He’s been in that mix the last couple years, when you start ranking him as opposed to the other players that fall into that combo defensive end/outside linebacker category.”

McFadden is on the fringe of being drafted late or entering the NFL via free agency, depending on what scouting Web site you subscribe to. Kiper said McFadden’s 6-foot, 176-pound frame could be a detriment, but has the cover skills to merit a selection.

McFadden, in an interview last month with the Opelika-Auburn News, said he had added nearly 10 pounds of muscle while training in Orlando.

“Size-wise, that’s the negative,” Kiper said. “But, hey, a nickel, dime back with his coverage skills, I think he can be a later round type guy. I say later rounds, maybe in the sixth round area.“

The NFL Combine, which Tate and Coleman will attend, is Feb. 24 to March 2 at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis. Auburn’s pro day has not been scheduled yet, but will likely be held in early March.

| 737-2561