JD PicKell: Auburn offense has 'a lot to like,' but one position could be the key

Earlier this month, Auburn running back Tank Bigsby was an Athlon preseason All-American after a big year in 2021. The Tigers also have four of their five offensive linemen coming back, which is why On3’s J.D. PicKell said there’s “a lot to like” about that part of the offense.

But Auburn can’t just ride the running game to contention in the SEC. The wide receiver corps is going to have to step up.

The Tigers had to get creative when Bo Nix entered the transfer portal this offseason, but looked in their backyard for his replacement. They landed Zach Calzada from Texas A&M, and he seems to be the favorite to be the starter. But no matter who’s at quarterback — whether it’s Calzada, TJ Finley or Oregon transfer Robby Ashford — they’ll need some receivers to emerge as playmakers.

“Offensively, there’s a lot to like in the run game,” PicKell said on The Hard Count. “Four of the five offensive linemen coming back, Tank Bigsby coming back, who is a man-child. From the quarterback standpoint, you’ve got a three-horse race. Zach Calzada — the Alabama slayer — transfers from Texas A&M to Auburn. He is the presumed frontrunner to win that job.

“We’ll see what happens. But ultimately, someone’s got to step up on the outside. Somebody has to be the explosive threat for Auburn in order for them to get over the top and to be able to be competitive in 2022.”

Auburn lost Kobe Hudson to the portal as he headed to UCF after he led the Tigers in receiving yards last year. But Shedrick Jackson is still in the fold, and he’ll have to become a big threat for Bryan Harsin’s group if it wants to keep pace in the SEC.

JD PicKell: Auburn’s biggest defensive question mark is its secondary

Auburn also lost two key playmakers from last year’s defense to the 2022 NFL Draft. Roger McCreary became a second-round pick of the Tennessee Titans and Smoke Monday joined the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent.

The Tigers still bring back five starters on defense, including Nehemiah Pritchett, who Auburn Live’s Justin Hokanson listed as a potential leader of the secondary. Regardless, PicKell said it won’t be easy to replace McCreary and Monday, who were both all-SEC players during their careers on The Plains.

“On defense, it’s not a bare cupboard by any means,” PicKell said on The Hard Count. “They return five of their 11 starters from last year. The trenches will be solid. The big question mark is the secondary. How do you replace a guy like Roger McCreary and Smoke Monday?

“Can you replace what they brought to the back end of that defense remains to be seen. So that’s what they have under the hood. There’s cause for optimism as a whole.”