photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr. (46) reaches to force Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes (5) out of bounds during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015 at Memorial Stadium.

Kansas University football coach David Beaty didn’t go public with a depth chart until the brink of the 2015 season-opener and doesn’t have one now, which makes it fun to cobble together an educated guess.

Here’s a stab at the two-deep on defense heading into summer conditioning, listed first string/second string:

DE: Dorance Armstrong, 6-foot-4, 241 pounds, So., Houston/Josh Ehambe, 6-3, 247, So., Arlington, Texas.

Armstrong, the best NFL prospect on the roster, was the biggest recruiting coup to date by Beaty’s staff and is ahead of schedule. He showed tremendous potential as a true freshman, closing on quarterbacks with speed rarely seen by Kansas D-linemen. He’s not only bigger and stronger, but has studied the game seriously enough to develop strong pass-rushing skills.

DT: Daniel Wise, 6-3, 290, So., Lewisville, Texas/DeeIsaac Davis, 6-3, 300, Jr., Wichita.

Wise has emerged as the best defensive tackle in the program. He’s on the small side for a Big 12 player at that position, but has worked hard on getting bigger and compensates with strong effort, underrated explosiveness off the line of scrimmage and a smart approach. He logged 3.5 sacks last season.

DT: D.J. Williams, 6-5, 302, So., Lufkin, Texas/Jacky Dezir, 6-1, 286, Jr., Chicago.

Williams moves well for his size and has shown potential in flashes. If he can improve his stamina and in turn show more consistent drive, he’ll be on his way to becoming a three-year starter. If not, next man up.

DE: Anthony Olobia, 6-5, 247, Sr., Renton, Wash./Damani Mosby, 6-3, 258, Sr., Atlanta.

Olobia has added seven pounds to his long frame and is coming off a solid spring. Neither he nor Mosby met expectations a year ago, so if one or both can exceed them this coming fall, Kansas might be able to bring pressure from both edges with Armstrong handling the other side.

The transition to Big 12 football was at times a difficult one for Mosby, who has shown all the signs of a player willing to do whatever is necessary to finish with a much stronger senior season. His weight-room work led to him adding 18 pounds of muscle. He has the speed to close on quarterbacks, and if he can refine his technique, has a shot at becoming the defense’s most improved player.

LB: Marcquis Roberts, 6-1, 223, Sr., Powder Springs, Ga./Osaze Ogbebor, 6-1, 220, So., McKinney, Texas.

A transfer from South Carolina in his second year at KU, Roberts has battled injuries throughout his college career. He played through considerable pain last season, but still was able to play in all 12 games and start 11 of them. His 83-yard interception return against Iowa State was one of the season’s most exciting plays. He knows how to play the game and will play it as well as his aching body allows.

LB: Joe Dineen, 6-2, 225, Jr., Lawrence/Courtney Arnick, 6-2, 215, Sr., Dallas.

Dineen showed improved speed during the spring and is ready to lead the defense with his play, his attitude and his energetic approach.

CB: Brandon Stewart, 6-0, 178, Sr., Cedar Hill, Texas/Kyle Mayberry, 5-11, 163, Fr., Tulsa, Okla.

Sometimes junior-college cornerbacks make a big leap forward in their second seasons in the Big 12. Stewart’s position coach, Kenny Perry, predicted an adjustment year followed by a stronger senior season shortly after Stewart signed with Kansas.

Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Memphis, Navy and others offered Mayberry a scholarship, but he stayed true to his oral commitment. The coaching staff is confident he can develop into a Big 12 cornerback quicker than most.

SS: Fish Smithson, 5-11, 201, Sr., Baltimore/Greg Allen, 5-11, 204, Sr., New Orleans.

Smithson’s nose for the ball resulted in him leading the nation in solo tackles for a defense that let far too many plays get to the back of the defense. Allen brings better coverage skills and is a nice complement to Fish.

FS: Tyrone Miller, 6-0, 182, So., Ann Arbor, Mich./Bazie Bates, 6-1, 197, New Orleans.

Playing cornerback as a true freshman a year ago, Miller looked like a safety playing out of position, which was precisely what he was. The shift suits the strong tackler well, and although he doesn’t have cornerback speed, he has a knack for making plays.

CB: Marnez Ogletree, 5-10, 190, Sr., Fullerton, Calif./Stephan Robinson, 5-11, 173, So., Old, Okla.

Ogletree worked his way into the starting lineup in the fifth game, and nobody beat him out until he missed the final two games because of injury.

Robinson, a junior-college transfer with three remaining years of eligibility, has a confident manner about him and stood out in the spring game.

NB: Tevin Shaw, 5-11, 206, Sr., Piscataway, N.J./Chevy Graham, 5-9, 200, Sr., Uniondale, N.Y.

Former head coach Charlie Weis’ New Jersey connections paid off when Shaw found himself without a school because he didn’t accept a scholarship offer from Iowa quickly enough. Shaw has worked hard every season, and it shows in his steady improvement. He’s a hard hitter who brings a great deal of game experience. The mentally and physically quick Graham emerged as a playmaker last season.

Newcomers could make impacts and work their way onto the two-deep quicker than expected, and others could become complacent and work their way off, but for the moment, that’s a pretty close estimate of where it stands today.

Ten of the players came to Kansas on scholarships out of high school, 10 from junior colleges, one (Roberts) as a transfer from a four-year school (South Carolina) and one (Graham) out of walk-on tryouts after watching from the stands as a freshman.

Nine played high school football in Texas, three in Georgia, two apiece in Kansas and Oklahoma, one apiece in Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Utah and Washington state.

Birth states: Texas (eight), Georgia (two), Kansas (two), Oklahoma (two) and one from California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Washington state.

Deeper into Beaty’s tenure, look for depth charts heavier on high school recruits with an even richer Texas flavor and a strong Louisiana presence.