We’re taking a look at each position group as Auburn prepares to open spring practice on March 16. The eighth of a 10-part series looks at the cornerbacks.

For the third straight offseason, Auburn must replace its No. 1 cornerback following an early entry into the NFL Draft. This season, though, the Tigers must replace both of their starting cornerbacks following Noah Igbinoghene’s decision to declare early and the graduation of Javaris Davis, as that duo started all 13 games at corner for Auburn in 2019.

It’s part of an offseason makeover in the secondary, where Auburn will be tasked with replacing four of its five starters from a year ago, with the lone exception coming at nickel, where Christian Tutt returns after making 12 starts in the slot last season.

Projected depth chart:

Right cornerback

Roger McCreary, junior, 36 tackles, one for a loss, 11 pass breakups, one interception, one fumble recovery

Traivon Leonard, redshirt junior, did not see the field in 2019

Left cornerback

Nehemiah Pritchett, sophomore, four tackles OR

Devan Barrett, senior, one quarterback hurry

Nickelback

Christian Tutt, junior, 32 tackles, four for a loss, one sack, two interceptions, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble, one quarterback hurry

Zion Puckett, redshirt freshman, four tackles, one for a loss, one pass breakup OR

Jordyn Peters, senior, 11 tackles, one for a loss, one pass breakups

Departed:

Noah Igbinoghene, 42 tackles, one for a loss, seven pass breakups

Javaris Davis, 43 tackles, one for a loss, two interceptions, six pass breakups

Due to arrive in the fall:

Eric Reed Jr., four-star cornerback signee

Marco Domio, four-star JUCO cornerback signee

Outlook:

With each of its top two corners from last season off to the pros, Auburn has two sizeable holes to fill in that part of the secondary—though there is a clear favorite for at least one of those spots.

Junior Roger McCreary is expected to step in and take up the mantle at the Tigers’ No. 1 cornerback in 2020 after being a supporting piece in each of his first two seasons. The former three-star signee took a considerable step forward as a sophomore, when he was targeted often when he was on the field — with teams often trying to avoid Igbinoghene — and led Auburn with 11 pass breakups last season and finished the year with an overall grade of 78.0, which makes him the fifth-highest graded returning corner in the SEC this season, according to Pro Football Focus analysis.

The bigger question is who lines up beside him as the second corner, especially if junior Christian Tutt remains in the nickel role he took over last fall. Sophomore Nehemiah Pritchett, another former three-star prospect, appeared in six games as a true freshman and provided depth at corner, and he could be asked to take on a much larger role in 2020. This spring, in particular, he will likely vie for that No. 2 spot with senior Devan Barrett — the former four-star running back who made the transition to corner a year and a half ago. That battle could continue into the fall, though, especially with the impending arrival of JUCO corner Marco Domio, one of the nation’s top junior college transfers, this summer.

Tutt will presumably remain in the slot, where he excelled as a sophomore last season, though he does have the flexibility and experience to slide to the outside at corner if Auburn needs him there. Behind him, senior Jordyn Peters could provide depth at nickel — where he has ample experience — or see continued reps at safety, while redshirt freshman Zion Puckett could also use this spring to garner more reps in the slot.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.