The 2023 NFL Draft will get underway Thursday night in Kansas City, kicking off a three-day event in which 259 players will be selected and begin their professional careers.

Waiting for that call from an NFL team can be nerve-wracking, but it’s almost certainly worth the wait. It’s the call of a lifetime — the moment these players have their often lifelong dreams actualized.

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Since 2018, AL.com has documented the pre-draft journeys of some of Auburn’s biggest stars in the Emmy award-winning “Road to the Pros” documentary series. Running back Kerryon Johnson, linebacker Deshaun Davis, defensive lineman Marlon Davidson, wide receiver Anthony Schwartz and cornerback Roger McCreary have all been subjects of the series, and AL.com has been there when each of them got that life-altering call.

For Johnson, it came from Detroit in the second round of the 2018 draft. For Davis the following year, it came from Cincinnati in the sixth round. Davidson received his call from Atlanta in the second round in 2020. Schwartz’s came from Cleveland in the third round in 2021, while McCreary’s came from Tennessee a year ago.

Relive the moments each of those players got their NFL Draft calls in the above video, and be sure to stay tuned to AL.com for the latest entry to that club, as Auburn All-SEC edge rusher Derick Hall has been the focus of this year’s “Road to the Pros” series. Hall is expected to be the first Auburn player selected in this year’s draft, and the final episode of the four-part series documenting his journey is set to debut next week.

Also be sure to check out the first three episodes of Hall’s “Road to the Pros” here:

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.