Rating the SEC’s defensive tackles after this year’s spring practice is an exercise in assigning value to several subjective elements.

Will touted signees with enviable physical traits finally perform on the field as veterans? Is it more valuable to excel as someone who gets skinny and rushes the passer or someone who commands two blockers on every running play?

And where does the influx of young talent fit?

RELATED: Ranking the SEC’s top returning DTs prior to spring practice

Trent Thompson (Georgia), Kahlil McKenzie (Tennessee), Terry Beckner Jr. (Missouri), Daylon Mack (Texas A&M) and Daron Payne (Alabama) are the future at the position. But, unlike quick-twitch athletes at defensive end, it requires man strength to succeed on the interior defensive line.

I don’t believe any of those players will crack the Top 10 at defensive tackle in 2015. Remember, many players on this list also were four- and five-star recruits, and have spent years refining and developing that talent.

Plenty of athletic monsters return to their respective teams this year. Here are the SEC’s 10 best.

Narrow Misses: Dexter Wideman (South Carolina), Christian LaCouture (LSU), A.J. Jefferson (Mississippi State), Josh Augusta (Missouri), Alonzo Williams (Texas A&M), Melvin Lewis (Kentucky), DeMarcus Hodge (Arkansas).

10. Julien Obioha, Texas A&M: Listed at 6-foot-4 and 256 pounds last season, the Aggies moved Obioha to defensive tackle during spring practice. He played 40 pounds lighter than Alonzo Williams last season, and the shift is one of the biggest philosophical changes executed by former Tennessee and LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis. A prototype quick-twitch, undersized defensive tackle within Chavis’ system, Obioha should provide interior pass rush within Texas A&M’s single-gap, attacking defensive front.

9. Issac Gross, Ole Miss: A solid, often-overlooked starter within the Landshark defense, Gross shrugged off injuries the last two seasons after performing as a freshman All-American in 2012. He’s been consistent, though, recording between 8 and 10 tackles for loss in all three seasons. Playing next to Robert Nkemdiche and Marquis Haynes will elevate his play as offensive coordinators offer help blocking those players and leave Gross with constant 1-on-1s. He’ll win more than 50 percent, forge into double-digit TFLs again and help the Rebels stake a claim for best defensive line in the SEC.

8. Davon Godchaux, LSU: Usually pristine, the play of the Tigers’ defensive tackles dipped in ’14. Godchaux started 10 games as a true freshman after rehabbing a torn ACL, not an ideal situation in the SEC. But at 6-foot-4, he should enter the fall about seven pounds heavier. New defensive line coach Ed Orgeron seems eager to prove he deserved a bigger job, and Godchaux could be project 1a for him. Last year’s best ends, Danielle Hunter and Jermauria Rasco, are gone, and LSU needs strong interior pass rush and good leadership to combat that. Godchaux could team with Christian LaCouture to provide both.

7. Chris Jones, Mississipi State: Exiting spring practice, I docked Jones a few spots. A five-star member of the ’13 class, Jones was supposed to be the Bulldogs’ 6-foot-5, 308-pound answer to Nkemdiche at Ole Miss. He’s succeeded in drawing double-teams, and managed seven sacks as a freshman. That’s not enough. Teammate A.J. Jefferson outplayed him in the spring game. New coordinator Manny Diaz has pegged Jones as a focal point, and the defense needs him to grow into the sky-high expectations that accompanied him to Starkville.

6. Taiwan Johnson, Arkansas: Listed at 6-foot-2 and 255 pounds last season, the Razorbacks’ post-spring depth chart slots Johnson 17 pounds heavier. He’ll inherit the interior pass-rush role vacated by Darius Philon as Arkansas attempts to maintain its effectiveness with a physical front seven. The junior-to-be flashed early in ’14, making 4.5 sacks, before fading deep into SEC play. The extra bulk — and responsibility — should help him stay productive all season. Look for an uptick in sacks and better overall play from Johnson.

5. Jonathan Bullard, Florida: After making five tackles for loss in the Gators’ final six games in ’14, Bullard, a staunch Muschamp supporter, flirted with entering the NFL draft along with fellow lineman and third overall pick Dante Fowler Jr. Instead, the converted defensive end will become one of the most valuable defensive pieces in coach Jim McElwain’s first season along with players like Vernon Hargreaves III, Antonio Morrison and Alex McCalister. New coordinator Geoff Collins may bounce the 6-foot-3, 277-pound Bullard between end and tackle, but he should be in the backfield pretty often.

4. Montravius Adams, Auburn: The return of Carl Lawson (ACL) at defensive end — and his perfect physical profile for new coordinator Will Muschamp’s “Buck” position — is the sexy storyline in 2015. But Adams has a chance to be as, if not more, effective at his position. Muschamp’s scheme works well for versatile defensive linemen, and don’t be surprised if Adams lines up at end against the likes of Arkansas and LSU. But with near-wholesale losses at defensive tackle after ’14, Auburn needs him to anchor the interior in a big way.

3. Harold Brantley, Missouri: No longer playing in the shadow of Shane Ray and Markus Golden, Brantley will get his due in ’15 as the alpha player on Mizzou’s famed defensive line. Beckner Jr. is the future, but this 6-foot-3, 290-pound athletic terror is the present. Brantley has certifiable open-field moves, which he unveiled while executing three fake punts the last two seasons. Think many interior SEC offensive linemen can keep up with that caliber of an athlete? Expect his 5 sacks from ’14 to increase, and he’ll offer sturdy help against the run as well before becoming a coveted 3-4 defensive end prospect in the NFL as soon as 2016.

2. A’Shawn Robinson, Alabama: A potential first-round pick in the 2016 draft, Robinson, at 6-foot-4 and 312 pounds, looks even more impressive from the prism of the NFL. He started to tap into that talent last season, but fell short of his preseason first-team All-SEC selection. The Crimson Tide will use him in multiple defensive packages, but at 6-foot-4 and 312 pounds, expect him to stand out as one of the best run-stuffers in the country. Alabama’s overall talent at every position on the defensive line only will help Robinson.

1. Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss: The 6-foot-4, 280-pound bull can hammer down against the run or out-athlete interior linemen to the quarterback. A potential first-round pick next year as an underclassman, the No. 1 prospect of the ’13 class played just OK relative to his physical tools last fall — and made second-team All-American as a true sophomore. It would not be shocking to see him dominate games much the way Ndamukong Suh did at Nebraska. Between his apparent disappointment in last year and his pending value in the draft, we should get full-force Nkemdiche all season, and two blockers on every play may not be enough to keep him out of the backfield.