Depth chart analysis: Right guard

This is the eleventh 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 -- Despite having a returning three-year starter, there was a little bit of experimenting at the right guard spot in the spring.

Whether that means Chad Slade's job is actually in jeopardy or if it was all contingency planning will be determined in the lead up to Aug. 30.

Avery Young saw some time at right guard and the coaching staff liked what they saw.

The Two-Deep
Chad Slade (6-foot-5, 315 pounds, senior)
Avery Young (6-foot-6, 309 pounds, sophomore)

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

Starter
Chad Slade has started 36 games on the Auburn offensive line, including all 14 last season.

"Chad's still the right guard and I'll say this, I think we have a good problem in that I feel like we have six starters," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said.

The Moody native saw some time on the left side during spring practice and perhaps it really all was as the coaching staff has portrayed, as just an experiment, but returning starters Alex Kozan and Reese Dismukes didn't have the same kind of experiments with other roles. But spring is when you can try different things.

Backup
Avery Young returns as the starting right tackle, but he saw a considerable amount of time working at guard during spring practice.

Could he see time on the inside regularly? Perhaps. Could he just as easily stay at tackle all season? Yep. Young is a versatile player and J.B. Grimes feels he could even play center if need be.

Next Wave
Devonte Danzey (6-foot-4, 296 pounds, junior) would be the true backup to Slade if Young stays at tackle.

Jordan Diamond (6-foot-6, 318 pounds, sophomore) could play at either right or left guard.

Summer Arrivals
Braden Smith (6-foot-6, 285 pounds) will be a guard and with Slade departing after this season, could be on the fast track on the right side.

Austin Golson transferred from Ole Miss and will sit out while beginning as a walk-on this season. He started at tackle for the Rebels but it sounds like he'll be an inside player for the Tigers.

Quotable
"Chad actually played a little bit on the left side and he played obviously almost the whole spring on the right side. We're doing our best there to create some depth in case something happens. I believe there's a fine line between luck and preparation, and I think we probably had a lot of both a year ago. When you go through a season and you basically play six offensive linemen, that doesn't happen a whole lot. I think some of that is luck and obviously I've always said this, I feel like our strength coach and his staff do as good a job as anybody in the country at preparing guys. You can't count on that every year." – J.B. Grimes