Montravius Adams Gabe Wright

Auburn defensive lineman Gabe Wright (90) and Auburn defensive tackle Montravius Adams (1) block Alabama offensive linemen Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, during the second quarter of the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

GRIFFIN, Georgia -- Ellis Johnson and Rodney Garner spent their first season together tinkering with personnel packages designed to better handle the power rushing attacks that dot the SEC West in Fayetteville, Baton Rouge and Tuscaloosa.

A depth issue at defensive end in the spring might have given Auburn its answer.

Faced with a lack of bodies at end due to injury and an overabundance at tackle, Auburn worked tackles Gabe Wright and Montravius Adams extensively at defensive end, a spot neither player will stay permanently next season.

But the experiment could come in handy as soon as the SEC opener.

"The type of offenses we're going to play, we may be in different packages," Garner said at an Auburn Club stop in Georgia on Monday. "Against Arkansas. ... with them trying to create edges, create extra gaps, that bigger defensive end is going to play a major role."

Arkansas uses a lot of traditional two tight-end or two-back sets, sometimes lining up with two tight ends and a fullback in front of the tailback, all in the name of overpowering an opponent's front seven, or in Auburn's case, front six.

Wright, who expects to weigh between 290 and 295 pounds, and Adams, who tips the scales at 305, offer a much stronger base on the edge than a 250 or 260-pounder on the edge.

""It may give us a chance to go big on a personnel package that we may need, maybe in the opening game," Johnson said. "The teams that bring two tight ends in the game and always have a tight end on the line of scrimmage, it's not bad to have a big, physical, 285-pound defensive end."

The key is that both Wright and Adams showed the athleticism to be more than just a space-eater on the outside. Even the most run-heavy teams throw often on first and second down now, meaning the days of the true run-defense specialist are over.

In today's SEC West, if a team is going to go big against the run, the ends still have to be able to rush the passer.

Wright and Adams are both quick enough -- Johnson said both run faster than 5.0 seconds in the 40-yard dash -- to get to the quarterback off the edge.

"On first and second down, it's so balanced, run-pass, you've got to be stout, set the edge in the run game," Garner said. "If they hit play-action pass, you've got to convert to pass rush, and they're both athletic enough that they can generate first, second-down pass rush."

The emergence of Adams and Wright doesn't eliminate the need for faster ends like Carl Lawson, a player Johnson believes can be a great run stopper anyway, and LaDarius Owens.

Against those powerful attacks, though, the athleticism of Adams and Wright offer Johnson and Garner some options.

"On third and long, obviously, you want more of a speed guy," Garner said. "But I definitely think they can give us quality reps."