We characterize the soft modes of the dynamical matrix at the depinning transition, and compare the matrix with the properties of the Anderson model (and long-range generalizations). The density of states at the edge of the spectrum displays a universal linear tail, different from the Lifshitz tails. The eigenvectors are instead very similar in the two matrix ensembles. We focus on the ground state (soft mode), which represents the epicenter of avalanche instabilities. We expect it to be localized in all finite dimensions, and make a clear connection between its localization length and the Larkin length of the depinning model. In the fully connected model, we show that the weak-strong pinning transition coincides with a peculiar localization transition of the ground state.Fil: Cao, Xiangyu. University of California at Berkeley; Estados Unidos. Université Paris Sud; FranciaFil: Bouzat, Sebastian. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Area de Investigación y Aplicaciones No Nucleares. Gerencia de Física (Centro Atómico Bariloche); Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Kolton, Alejandro Benedykt. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Area de Investigación y Aplicaciones No Nucleares. Gerencia de Física (Centro Atómico Bariloche); ArgentinaFil: Rosso, Alberto. Université Paris Sud; Franci