AUBURN | Replacing two high NFL Draft picks like Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson was always going to be tough.

Doing it without most of your players is downright impossible.

Injuries and illnesses have taken their toll on Auburn’s defensive line depth this fall, forcing its only veterans, Tyrone Truesdell and DaQuan Newkirk, to play extended snaps.

“The two veteran guys, they’re battling; they’re playing a lot of snaps, but hopefully we can get to a point where some of the other guys can fill in where needed,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said.

Truesdell has played 240 of a possible 304 total snaps in the first four games this season while Newkirk has played 222. In contrast, Brown played 198 snaps and Davidson 182 in Auburn’s first four conference games last season.

“They was playing their hearts out, man,” said linebacker Owen Pappoe after Saturday’s loss at South Carolina. “I kept giving them props on the sideline just to keep the momentum going."

Rodney Garner, AU’s defensive line coach, and the entire staff took steps to help mitigate the loss of Brown and Davidson. They signed two junior college standouts in Dre Butler and Marquis Burks along with the nation’s No. 9 high school defensive tackle in Jay Hardy.

But the position was one of the ones affected by COVID-19 during fall camp and it’s been besieged by injuries since. Hardy injured his ankle and hasn’t played this season. Injuries have limited Butler to 27 snaps and injuries and an illness last week limited Burks to 22 through the first four weeks.

It’s forced AU to make some moves. Offensive lineman Jeremiah Wright, another freshman, moved to defensive line in camp and played six snaps against the Gamecocks.

Colby Wooden and Zykeivous Walker were both expected to play defensive end at AU but both freshmen have taken snaps at defensive tackle despite being undersized.

After playing 60 snaps in the first three games Walker, however, missed the USC game with an injury.

“Zykeivous and Dre were both a little bit banged up in practice last week. I think they’re getting healthier,” Malzahn explained. “As far as Hardy’s concerned, he still has an ankle issue. I’m not sure when he’s going to be back, but he’s working hard to do that. So, that’s where we’re at.”

Auburn plays at Ole Miss Saturday at 11 a.m. CT on SECN.