Depth chart analysis: Field corner

This is the twentieth of a 24-part series that will run up to SEC Media Days detailing Auburn's depth chart heading into the 2014 season. This comes well after the Tigers concluded their 15 spring practices and includes insight from nearly every position coach on the staff.

AUBURN -- One of four defensive positions not to see a change at starter for the Tigers last season was field cornerback, where Jonathon Mincy started all 14 games.

But the departure of Chris Davis Jr. left at void on the boundary side of the field and Mincy moved over, prior to his recent arrest, and Jonathan Jones stepped in to take over on the field side.

Jones could be in for a breakout year as a relative newcomer to the regular lineup, though he has been a regular contributor on special teams.

Trovon Reed's move to defense sent him to field corner, where he is joined by Kamryn Melton.

The Two-Deep
Jonathan Jones (5-foot-10, 182 pounds, junior)
Trovon Reed (6-foot, 188 pounds, senior)

DEFENSIVE POSITION ANALYSIS: LDE | DT | NT | RDE | MLB | WLB | Star

Starter
Jonathan Jones has had to deal with a rash of injuries during his first two seasons on the Plains but he always seems to come up with a critical play when he is available.

Though he had just 11 tackles in nine games last season, Jones was expected to be a big contributor last year before an injury hampered his progress.

Assuming Mincy, whose status with the team following his arrest remains unclear, is to return on the boundary, Jones should be the projected starter. If Mincy moves back to field, depending also on where Josh Holsey returns to, it could send Jones down a peg.

OFFENSIVE POSITION ANALYSIS: QB | RB | HB | TE | SE | F | SLOT | LT | LG | C | RG | RT

Backup

Next Wave

Mincy could easily move back as the starting field corner but his future is unclear.

Kamryn Melton (5-foot-10, 182 pounds, sophomore) seldom saw the field last season and finds himself behind a few upperclassmen.

Josh Holsey(5-foot-11, 192 pounds, junior) will most likely return to either the boundary safety or boundary corner positions.

Summer Arrivals
Kalvaraz Bessent (6-foot, 170 pounds) and Nick Ruffin (6-foot, 180 pounds) were the signees at corner and cornerbacks coach Melvin Smith was high on both.

Quotable
"I think right now (Jones is) penciled in and I think we still got a battle. Trovon Reed, Kamryn Melton's had a good spring, Jonesy's ahead of him a little bit right now from an experience standpoint. Still got Josh Holsey waiting to come back; we could've let him practice this spring but we chose to be very cautious. If we're deeper at safety Holsey could go to corner. If Holsey goes to boundary corner, Mincy could go back to field corner. There's a lot of moving parts back there but at least we feel good right now that we've got answers, it's just where do we put them. Coming into spring we were trying to find out who could be the answers. We feel a lot better about it right now.." – Ellis Johnson