Auburn football is nearly upon us, which means it's time for Gus Malzahn to reveal a "Week 1" depth chart, then proceed to not update it for the rest of the season.

If last season serves as any indication, the head coach's presentation of the Tigers' two-deep should bring with it some intriguing selections at various positions. Whether it's 6-foot-5, 290-pound Nick Coe at outside linebacker, or five "co-starters" at running back, Tuesday's unveiling should raise some eyebrows, if we're lucky.

But in all seriousness, Auburn coaches have been hard at work at the tail-end of fall camp. They're hoping to cement a handful of starting-caliber players at each spot, seeing as depth is likely to be more valuable than ever as Auburn looks to begin its 2020 campaign amid a pandemic.

So who rose to the top of the leaderboards during the Tigers' 25 fall practices? After speaking with players and coaches alike all preseason, and analyzing the knowns and unknowns of Auburn's roster, here is AuburnSports.com's projection of what Tuesday's two-deep will look like — starting with the defense.

Defensive end

1. Big Kat Bryant, Sr.

2. Colby Wooden, RFr.

3. Jaren Handy, So.

4. Daniel Foster-Allen, TFr.

THOUGHTS?

B-Matt: This might be the most talented position on the team, especially if you slide Walker back over here. Bryant has paid his dues and is receiving some nice preseason recognition, but that might not be enough to hold off one of the younger players for the starting position.

Jay G.: Still not sure about this position. Bryant is a fine player, but hasn't yet taken that last step toward becoming a dominating presence. The talk surrounding Wooden is almost wholly positive. Same for Jaren Handy. I'd need to see more high-level performance before crowning this group, but there has been some 2020 hype here.

Nate: Bryant needs to have a big season for the success of this D-line, yes, but I think it's equally as important for Auburn that it's (apparently) found a strong backup at the true DE spot with Wooden.

Defensive tackle

1. Tyrone Truesdell, Sr.

2. Dre Butler, Jr.

3. Jay Hardy, TFr.

Defensive tackle

1. Daquan Newkirk, Sr.

2. Marquis Burks, Jr.

3. Zykeivous Walker, TFr.

THOUGHTS?

B-Matt: Similar to DE, I really like the depth and talent here. Rodney Garner deserves the credit for doing a great job evaluating, recruiting and developing. Excited to see what a healthy Newkirk can do this season and expecting big things from Butler and Hardy.

Jay G.: This is my favorite group of Auburn's defense. Generational talents like Derrick Brown are extremely valuable, sure, but useful depth probably is more valuable in the long run. Those offensive linemen play entire games. If Rodney Garner has at least four inside guys, and he may have five right now, he can attack those offense linemen with fresh legs. That yields big dividends during the second half. I don't see any stars here for the 2020 season, but I see six good players with different strengths. That's exactly what Auburn needs right now.

Nate: Coynis Miller Jr.'s dismissal from the program means only Truesdell and Newkirk have experience playing the position at Auburn. It's a good thing Rodney Garner loaded up on talented newcomers, because I think JUCO products Butler and Burks are versatile and experienced and will be ready to go from Game 1.

Buck/defensive end

1. Derick Hall, So.

2. T.D. Moultry, Sr.

3. Caleb Johnson, So.

4. Romello Height, TFr.

THOUGHTS?

B-Matt: For me, this is the most uncertain position on defense. There's been a lack of production at Buck over the past two seasons. I think there's potential for a turnaround this season but the players returning aren't yet proven, just have that potential word attached to them. I'm sorta rooting for a Moultry breakout season, just because it would be good to see for a senior and it would certainly be good for this team.

Jay G.: So much projection here. Derick Hall played 198 snaps last season and he stood out more often than I expected give his lack of experience. Still, PFF graded him as Auburn's 10th-best defensive lineman last season. Hmmm. Moultry has talent, but he still hasn't learned to play through injury — or at least maintain some semblance of consistency when minor physical problems nag him. Caleb Johnson is a complete unknown to me. Surely Kevin Steele would like to have a more established option here to provide pressure from the outside.

Nate: Moultry was productive in spurts last season, and I think he's line for a really good senior season. But with how effective Hall was as a true freshman in 2019, he should get the nod on at least the season's first two-deep.

Inside linebacker

1. K.J. Britt, Sr.

2. Wesley Steiner, TFr.

3. O.C. Brothers, RFr.

4. Kameron Brown, RFr.

4. Desmond Tisdol, TFr.

Outside linebacker

1. Owen Pappoe, So.

2. Zakoby McClain, Jr.

3. Cam Riley, TFr.

THOUGHTS?

B-Matt: This position is so deep and talented and T-Will certainly deserves credit for his hard work recruiting snd coaching. Britt, Pappoe and McClain helped make an easy and productive transition from losing three seniors the previous season and I'm excited to see some of the younger guys step up and provide a glimpse of the future.

Jay G.: Really good group of players. Britt is a made-to-order middle linebacker with ample acceleration, awareness and mass. Pappoe is a future millionaire with insane speed, though he actually must learn to play a little slower so he doesn't overshoot as many tackles. I'm also very high on both Cam Riley and the sharp-as-tack Wesley Steiner. Don't overlook McClain; he was the defense's top-rated reserve last season. Auburn uses a nickel so often that some people overlook how important linebackers are to what Kevin Steele aims to accomplish. They're critical. And this is a Grade-A collection of talent.

Nate: Auburn's top three contributors in its four-man linebacker rotation are some of the best in the conference, so much of the focus in Travis Williams' room should be on who will fill the void at the fourth spot. In camp, Steele said, freshmen Steiner, Riley and Tisdol all made strong pushes.

Cornerback

1. Roger McCreary, Jr.

2. Jaylin Simpson, RFr.

3. Devan Barrett, Sr.

Cornerback

1. Nehemiah Pritchett, So.

2. Marco Domio, Jr.

3. Matthew Hill, So.

4. Eric Reed Jr, TFr.

THOUGHTS?

B-Matt: I've got a hunch Pritchett wins the starting job but not sure how the rotation will play out after him. This was once a concern of mine but it sounds like it's a group that has stepped up during camp. I like seeing two guys that flew a little under the recruiting radar -- McCreary and Pritchett -- playing a big part. Auburn remains a program that needs to find those diamonds in the rough to be successful and those two could be the next in line.

Jay G.: McCreary was shockingly good last season. He played almost 600 snaps and was the Tigers' most consistent cover guy. Noah Igbinoghene fans will recoil at that suggestion and they have a point; Iggy generally was given the most taxing individual assignments. With that said, McCreary was up to the challenge throughout the season. He's rightfully considered Auburn's top cornerback now. I strongly suspect Pritchett will be good because of how highly Steele has thought of the kid since his junior year of high school. Not sure on Domio and Matthew Hill yet, but I expect one of them to log at least 300 snaps this season. Having a reliable third guy is crucial.

Nate: The battle for No. 2 corner was apparently a five-man competition in the final few weeks of camp. But Domio's JUCO experience and Pritchett's development in the system as a sophomore should lead to those two being the ones to fill out Steele's three-man cornerback rotation after McCreary, who is undoubtedly CB1.

Nickel

1. Christian Tutt, Jr.

2. Zion Puckett, RFr.

3. Ladarius Tennison, TFr.

THOUGHTS?

B-Matt: Another deep and very talented position. I firmly believe all three of the nickels are capable of being starters this season. Tennison is a young player to be excited about.

Jay G.: Tutt probably is a step slower than Auburn would like at this spot, but his run support and awareness are both excellent. He's also a vocal leader on the field. Tennison and Puckett provide great depth here. Nickel has become perhaps the most difficult defensive position to play these days — and you can tell by this roster than Steele and his assistants really concentrate on signing good players for this specific role.

Nate: Puckett got some good backup reps last season in SEC action, while Tennison is a beast of a freshman. So the fight for playing time behind Tutt should continue well into the season.

Safety

1. Jamien Sherwood, Jr.

2. Jordyn Peters, Sr.

3. Chris Thompson, TFr.

Safety

1. Smoke Monday, Jr.

2. Jordyn Peters, Sr.

3. Malcolm Askew, Sr.

THOUGHTS?

B-Matt: I think Sherwood and Monday are both NFL safeties and I really like having an experienced player like Peters as their backups. Peters is underrated and his athleticism is really going to show at safety. Perhaps he could return and be a starter next season.

Jay G.: I like Sherwood significantly more than Monday. I feel like Monday misses too many tackles and wanders out of position too often. Sherwood is smooth — much like Jeremiah Dinson, who was so very good last season. Peters looks like a league-average player to me. I loved Chris Thompson's high-school film; I'm looking forward to seeing what he can offer this secondary by the time November rolls around.

Nate: I think Peters, the "older brother" in the secondary, could have a big season as Auburn's best (and most experienced) option on the back end past starters Sherwood and Monday. The fact that a freshman, Thompson, emerged as another viable reserve this preseason is big for the secondary depth, too.

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