AUBURN | Derick Hall might be Auburn’s best overall player. Eku Leota is certainly up there too.

They give the Tigers an imposing duo at the Edge, a premium position on defense. But behind those two are a whole lot of question marks.

Redshirt freshman Dylan Brooks has shown improvement this spring after spending last fall on the scout team. Behind him are a couple of walk-ons.

Having a three-deep of scholarship players is pretty good at most positions, but not at Edge where Hall and Leota will likely spend a lot of time on the field together, especially in passing situations.

“First of all we understand how critical that position is especially with a versatile defense,” said defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding. “Derick Hall, Eku Leota and Dylan Brooks are the primary guys right now.

“But we're not waiting around to solve that depth problem, we're out actively seeking it. Certainly recruiting, looking for it and then also within the scheme, how can we utilize those guys without burning them out.”

Auburn pursued Georgia Tech transfer Jordan Domineck but he ultimately chose Arkansas. While he has yet to be offered, Jacksonville State transfer JD Coleman is a target. The 6-foot-6, 265-pound Coleman totaled 113 tackles, 22.5 tackles-for-loss and 14 sacks over the last two seasons.

Auburn didn’t sign an Edge player in the 2022 class, but linebacker Powell Gordon, who enrolled in January, could get a look at the position if needed.

Hall and Leota combined for 16.0 sacks last season as the Tigers finished seventh in the SEC with 36 total.

“Those guys are doing a great job, Coach Roc (Bellantoni) is doing an awesome job with them but we're also actively seeking depth in a hurry. At the moment we're probably seeking it at pretty much every second,” said Schmedding.

Auburn is holding its first major scrimmage of the spring Friday afternoon.