Reese Dismukes

Auburn center Reese Dismukes (50) talks during Auburn's BCS National Championship offensive press conference Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014, in Newport Beach, Calif. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

(JULIE BENNETT)

One high-profile Auburn name was never uttered at the NFL Draft.



Reese Dismukes was expected to be picked in the middle rounds as one of the top five centers in the country, but it never happened. The former Auburn star was considered one of the best players in the SEC last season as he earned consensus All-America honors while winning the Rimington Trophy as the nation's best center.



Still, Dismukes had to sit and wait for a phone call after the draft. He landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he'll join former Auburn receiver Sammie Coates, as an undrafted free agent.



The surprising fall out of the draft prompted questions. What motivated teams to stay away from the most decorated center in college football? Auburn coach Gus Malzahn was shocked.



"I was very surprised about that. He's an outstanding player," Malzahn said. "Like I said before, I think he'll make somebody a very good pro for a long time; somebody that they can count on and a very good football player."

Dismukes was considered a leader throughout his four-year career with the Tigers. He started all 50 games he appeared in and was a team captain in his final 27 starts. He also paved the way to the SEC Championship in 2013, when the Tigers owned the nation's top rushing offense (328.3 yards per game). He graded 90 percent or better in each start during his final two seasons with the Tigers.



Auburn offensive line coach J.B. Grimes has long been Dismukes' biggest supporter.



"He is the smartest offensive linemen I have ever coached, by far," Grimes said last week.



Why the sudden tumble out of the draft? One report, citing anonymous sources, called Dismukes' off-the-field attitude into question and cited concerns of whether he would be a "good teammate to all segments of the locker room."



Malzahn doesn't believe Dismukes is a problem in the locker room.



"He's been one of our leaders," he said. "A matter of fact, he's been one of our main leaders, helped us get to the national championship game and a lot more. He was nothing but a model leader for us."



Dismukes' stock took a slight hit at the Senior Bowl, but many analysts still considered him a top-tier center heading into the draft. His hand size (the smallest of all players at the Senior Bowl) was a concern, and so was his lack of experience as a pass blocker, but he was still predicted to be selected in the middle rounds of the draft.



Seven centers were picked in the seven rounds of the draft.

Five Auburn players were selected in the draft and 11 agreed to deals in free agency.