AUBURN — On one hand, Auburn football was happy to see defensive backs DJ James, Nehemiah Pritchett and Jaylin Simpson drafted into the NFL. Zion Puckett got a look, too, participating in rookie minicamp for the New York Jets earlier this offseason.

But on the other hand, the Tigers knew the departures of those veteran pieces would leave them with a number of questions in the secondary. Coach Hugh Freeze and his staff have done their best to patch up those holes, adding transfers such as Jerrin Thompson (Texas) and Antonio Kite (Alabama).

The starters for 2024 seem somewhat established after spring practice. Keionte Scott, the lone returning starter from last season, will move from the nickel to the outside. Sophomore Kayin Lee will play opposite of him, and Champ Anthony will get the first crack at things in the slot.

On the back end, expect Thompson and Caleb Wooden to get the majority of reps at safety.

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Is Keionte Scott on the outside the best option?

Scott spent two seasons at Snow College in Utah before transferring to Auburn in December 2021. He arrived to the Plains and, with James and Pritchett holding things down on the boundary, immediately began taking reps at nickel, the position he's played for the last two campaigns.

Listed at 6-foot, 181 pounds, Scott has been productive in the slot, posting 97 total tackles, nine pass deflections, a sack and an interception in his 22 Auburn appearances. He's been effective in the run game, too, as Pro Football Focus gave him a run defense grade of 78.2 last season. That ranked No. 4 amongst all Tigers.

For Scott's NFL future, the move outside probably helps him. But is that best for Auburn? It depends how well Anthony can replace his production.

What does the depth look like behind Keionte Scott, Kayin Lee?

Another reason for Scott's move to the boundary, aside from helping him show off his versatility for pro scouts, is Auburn didn't really have many other options. Lee was impressive in his reps as a true freshman in 2023, but the depth behind the two of them is scarce.

Redshirt freshman Colton Hood looked like he was angling to be a key contributor next season, but he's since transferred to Colorado to go play with his younger brother, Brandon Hood. With Hood out, Kite is probably the third CB on the depth chart. After him it gets murky.

Which young DB will step up?

Between what Auburn brought in through the Classes of 2023 and 2024, the Tigers have seven blue-chip DBs in their first or second years with the program. Lee has already taken on a key role, but others are still looking for opportunities. Second-year DB Sylvester Smith has shown some positional versatility, which may put him in position to get on the field.

True freshman Kaleb Harris is someone to monitor, too. After Thompson and Wooden, the door is open for a third safety to step in.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football: Can new-look secondary come together for Tigers?