Top 7 Draftable Players in the SEC

NFL Draft Prospects in the SEC

1. Jarvis Jones DE/OLB Georgia - Finding your way to the top of the SEC prospect list is an amazing accomplishment that almost guarantees that you will be selected in the top-5 in next year’s draft (2012-Trent Richardson, 2011-Cam Newton, 2010-Eric Berry, 2009-Tyson Jackson, etc.) and I expect nothing less from Jarvis Jones after a dominant 2011 campaign. Jones has a sixth sense for setting blockers up to fail, and against Florida you could literally see the offensive tackles pounding their fists into the ground when he just make them miss on his way to the quarterback. He has a fully loaded arsenal of pass rush moves, which is most likely why he racked up 13.5 sacks as a sophomore, and I have great expectations from his junior season.

2. Barkevious Mingo DE LSU - Right now “Key-key” Mingo is right behind Jarvis Jones as far as SEC pass rushers go. What Mingo lacks in weight, he more than makes up for in speed around the corner. I can’t wait to see what kind of polish he has put on his pass rush moves for next year, but one thing that I do know is that offensive coordinators will be on the edge of their seats every time they call a pass play as long as Mingo is on the other side of the ball.

3. Justin Hunter WR Tennessee – One of the premier pass-cathers in college football today, Justin Hunter has elite speed, height, and catching ability his only question mark is whether he can overcome a 2011 ACL injury to take his spot at the top of the list of CFB receivers this year. With Tyler Bray at the helm of that offense, and teammates (former 1,000 yard receiver) Da’rick Rogers and (top five-star JUCO WR prospect) Cordarrelle Patterson keeping coverage honest, Hunter could be the most productive target in the SEC or even the nation.

4. Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M – Luke “Stonewall” Joeckel as I like to call him, comes into the SEC and is immediately the best left tackle in the conference. Some may call for D.J. Fluker here, I would urge you to go check out the Texas/Texas A&M game where Joeckel absolutely stonewalls Jackson Jeffcoat (a probably future first round draft pick) for four quarters. Joeckel has not only beaten external opponents, he has had to defend his position on the depth chart against other first round talents on his team. In fact, even though the son of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Mathews, Jake Mathews, he has managed to keep his left tackle spot even though Jake has amazing potential.

5. Tyler Wilson QB Arkansas – Wilson has the size, strength, and IQ that you want in an ideal quarterback, however he faces a lot of questions since the Bobby Petrino incident. Not only will Wilson be playing for a new HC, he also loses his three best wide receivers from the 2011 season. This year he, WR Cobi Hamilton, TE Chris Gragg, and RB Knile Davis face the uphill battle of trying to take an offseason full of loss and turn it into a season to be proud of.  If he can do that, then he could very well be the first pick in the 2013 NFL draft.

6. Chance Warmack G Alabama – D.J. Fluker and Barrett Jones may be more publicized, but Chance Warmack is the best offensive lineman on the Alabama roster, and its not really close. Warmack is a hole-opener in the run game, and one he locks on he terrorized his defender. You can almost see defensive tackles deflate as they lineup across from Warmack knowing that they have little-to-no chance to shed him once the ball is snapped. While David Decastro was still a better prospect at this point due to his elite agility, Warmack has a chance to surpass him if he can improve his movement in space this year.

7. Sam Montgomery DE LSU – The seventh spot was the hardest in these rankings. Do I go with a possible top ten pick in Tennessee’s Tyler Bray? Should I talk about Sean Porter, the OLB from Texas A&M who reminds some people of Von Miller? How about the talented RB Marcus Lattimore from South Carolina? In the end though, this had to go to a Tiger and Montgomery edged out Tyrann Mathieu. Montgomery is versatile, smart, and explosive. He has everything you want from a defensive end, and he also plays with an intensity that would make him a standout regardless of position. I know this may shock people, but at the end of the year Montgomery could be more attractive than Key-Key Mingo to some teams that run a 4-3 defense.