Mississippi State’s losses from last year’s defense are well-documented. Graduation took a significant chunk of Bulldogs defenders at each level, including three of four starters on the defensive line.

The good news is that Mississippi State’s heavy platooning in 2014 means three more experienced linemen are ready to fill their shoes. But how do the new starters compare to their 2014 counterparts? And what about the new group filling the second unit?

Let’s take a look at the Bulldogs’ front four, position by position.

Defensive end

2014 starter: Ryan Brown
2015 starter: Ryan Brown

You’re not seeing double; Mississippi State has one returning starter on the defensive front, and Brown is it. The 6-foot-6, 266-pounder cracked the starting lineup consistently for the first time last year as a junior and finished with 28 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He’ll be depended upon to provide reliability — and a pass rush — as an anchor up front. A senior-season breakout for Brown could do wonders for alleviating the loss of last year’s leaders.

2014 starter: Preston Smith
2015 starter: A.J. Jefferson

It’s no slight to Jefferson, but Smith’s departure leaves a hole that will not be easily filled. A two-year starter and a first-team All-SEC selection last season, Smith led the 2014 team in tackles for loss (15) and sacks (9), while also intercepting two passes and forcing a pair of fumbles.

Jefferson may not be able to match that level of production, but he’s been solid through the last two seasons. He hasn’t earned a start yet, but he’s seen the field in all 26 games and finished last year with 28 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks as a part-timer in 2014.

Defensive tackle

2014 starter: Kaleb Eulls
2015 starter: Chris Jones

It might seem foolish to imply that there won’t be a drop-off from Eulls, a four-year starter, but that’s how much potential Jones has. He came to Mississippi State as a five-star recruit out of Houston and earned Freshman All-American honors in 2013. His numbers last year were just a tick off his freshman season, but he’s in line for an expanded role and a coming-of-age campaign this fall. He’s already been named a preseason All-American by both the Sporting News and Phi Steele.

2014 starter: P.J. Jones
2015 starter: Nelson Adams

Not unlike the man he’s replacing, Adams has been solid but not spectacular to this point in his Bulldogs career. Jones followed a similar career path before moving to the top of the depth chart permanently as a junior and finishing his career with 27 starts.

Adams has seen action in all 26 games since his redshirt freshman season in 2013, and last year finished with 19 tackles and two tackles for loss as part of the rotation at tackle. Those numbers are right in line with Jones’ line of 19.5 tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack, so don’t expect a huge loss in production from the starter at this position.

Depth

Players come and go; this is college football, after all. And though the Bulldogs lost some key members of last year’s defensive front, it’s conceivable that the drop-off from last year to this year’s starters will be negligible given the amount of actual in-game experience that returns. However, half of last year’s two-deep is now gone, and the bigger questions up front surface around the second group.

That’s not to say there isn’t talent — it’s just less proven. Nick James is a former four-star defensive tackle with immense ability, and redshirt freshman Cory Thomas could be ready to provide reliable depth inside. On the edges, Fletcher Adams was the top prize in the 2015 recruiting class, and a pair of JUCO transfers (Will Coleman and Jonathan Calvin) could earn meaningful snaps quickly.

Perhaps as much as the starters, these players’ ability to fortify the Bulldogs in the trenches could go a long way to determining Mississippi State’s success in 2015.