Roster outlook: Defensive tackle

AUBURN | The next in a series of position-by-position looks at Auburn’s roster in 2019 is defensive tackle. There are some very big holes to fill but Auburn’s defensive staff has done a good job of preparing for next year with replacements already lined up.

While Derrick Brown hasn’t officially announced his decision, the junior is expected to join seniors Dontavius Russell and Andrew Williams in the 2019 NFL Draft. That means AU must replace its top three defensive tackles in the playing rotation.

Despite having those three talented players in front of him, junior Tyrone Truesdell has played in 19 games over the past two seasons including 11 this fall in which he’s tallied nine tackles and 0.5 tackles-for-loss. He’ll battle junior DaQuan Newkirk and sophomore Coynis Miller for two starting positions although all three should be important parts of the playing rotation.

Newkirk, who joined the team from junior college last January, overcame an Achilles injury to play in seven games this fall while Miller played in eight as a true freshmen. Both possess plenty of talent and this offseason will be a big one for both to continue to develop.

Sophomore Alec Jackson played in 10 games this season after redshirting his first season. He weighed about 270 pounds on his 6-foot-5 frame coming out of high school and was expected to need a couple of years to build up size and strength, which also makes this an important offseason for the Montgomery, Ala., native.

Not surprisingly, the defensive tackle position is a priority for the Tigers in the 2019 class. So far, Auburn has garnered commitments from two talented linemen, Jaren Handy and Jamond Gordon, who could project as strongside defensive ends or defensive tackles on the next level, and is targeting several other top prospects.

Auburn's defensive staff would normally want at minimum of five d-tackles in the playing rotation so expect at least one newcomer to garner regular playing time.

AU's staff also likes to build versatility into its lineup and has several defensive ends that can play or have played inside at tackle including junior Nick Coe and redshirt freshman Caleb Johnson.