The overall SEC non-conference schedule is good news/bad news in 2015 depending on whether you enjoy elite competition or would rather your team destroy every other conference.

I scoured every reputable early 2016 mock draft and big board I could find, and arrived at a pretty surprising conclusion. Florida State safety Jalen Ramsey is the only player on the SEC’s entire non-conference schedule projected to get drafted in next year’s first round.

But Florida won’t play Florida State until Nov. 28, and it’s possible that the Gators long since will have been eliminated from SEC East contention by then. Other ACC vs. SEC matchups late in the year, like Georgia-Georgia Tech, Kentucky-Louisville and South Carolina-Clemson will present a few NFL talents, but nothing like last season.

The SEC’s 2014 non-conference schedule featured the likes of quarterback Jameis Winston, receiver Kevin White, pass rusher Vic Beasley, receiver DeVante Parker and running back Melvin Gordon, all players at visible positions who eventually got drafted in the first half of the first round.

That’s good news for those hoping the SEC can demoralize other conferences early in the year.

Granted, several of the marquee non-conference matchups early in the season feature opponents with plenty of 2016 NFL draft talent, even if none of the players get selected in the first round. Here’s a look at a few of those games and players.

SOUTH CAROLINA VS. NORTH CAROLINA

WR Quinshad Davis: The 6-foot-4, 215-pound red zone threat is a good test for the Gamecocks’ pass defense in the first SEC game of the year. South Carolina sure hopes to avoid a re-run of the offensive fireworks they allowed against Texas A&M to open last season.

G Landon Turner: Continuing with that theme, South Carolina’s reworked defensive line will get to measure itself immediately against the 6-foot-4, 325-pound senior, who should be one of the first four or five guards selected in next year’s draft.

ALABAMA VS. WISCONSIN

RB Corey Clement: While Melvin Gordon was challenging all sorts of school, conference and NCAA records in ’14, Clement quietly ran for 949 yards on 6.5 yards per carry as a true sophomore. A more accomplished pass-catcher than Gordon, he’ll also be a terror as the starter, and could enter the NFL early after this fall.

LT Tyler Marz: A two-time honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection, the 6-foot-5, 321-pound Marz is a people mover who will help clear room for Clement. If he can prove he’s made strides as a pass protector, it’s possible he’ll become an early-round selection in next year’s draft.

ARIZONA STATE VS. TEXAS A&M

RB/WR D.J. Foster: A 1,000-yard rusher last season, Foster is slated to start at receiver this year to account for the Sun Devils’ loss of Jaelen Strong. That should suit him just fine, as he’s managed 125 catches the last two seasons for Arizona State. If new coordinator John Chavis and the defense want to make a prideful statement early in the season, the team must contain Foster.

LOUISVILLE VS. AUBURN

DT/DE Sheldon Rankins: He finished with 8 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss a year ago, and gave consideration to entering the 2015 NFL draft. NFL.com recently named him a senior to watch, largely due to his versatility.

OLB Devonte Fields: The former five-star talent made 10 sacks as a freshman in 2012 — at TCU. Removed from the team after allegations of domestic violence, he now joins Louisville as a JUCO transfer. NFL scouts will want to investigate him deeper, but his talent is enough that he could enter the draft as a redshirt junior.

ILB James Burgess: A third-year starter, Burgess is athletic and sound. He made three interceptions, 10 tackles for loss and 71 total tackles last season and presents a crucial matchup against Auburn’s running game, as we get to find out just how good Jovon Robinson and Roc Thomas can be.

TENNESSEE VS. OKLAHOMA

CB Zack Sanchez: A potential high-round NFL draft pick, Sanchez made five interceptions in Oklahoma’s first six games last season, including a pick in OU’s 34-10 win against Tennessee. He’s the standout on a maligned, talented and young secondary, so look for the Vols to stay away.

LB Dominique Alexander: A second-team All-Big 12 selection last year, Alexander made 107 tackles as a true sophomore, including 12 against Tennessee. His height and size are concerns at the next level, but his production may push him into the draft as an underclassman.

OLB Eric Striker: At 6-foot and 223 pounds, Striker made his bones in ’14 by timing the snap count well and using his speed, collecting 9 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss. NFL scouts will question his size, but Joshua Dobbs and the Tennessee offensive line should know where he is before every snap.

WR Sterling Shepard: NFL.com recently called Shepard “this year’s Phillip Dorsett,” a burner from the University of Miami who got selected at No. 29 overall on April 30. He’s familiar with the SEC, racking up 109 receiving yards against Tennessee in ’14 and generating 77 yards of total offense and two touchdowns in a Sugar Bowl win against Alabama.

OTHER FUTURE NFL TALENT TO WATCH IN 2016

OLB Bronson Kaufusi, BYU (vs. Missouri)
WR Mike Williams, Clemson (vs. South Carolina)
DE Shaq Lawson, Clemson (vs. South Carolina)
CB Mackensie Alexander, Clemson (vs. South Carolina)
S Jayron Kearse, Clemson (vs. South Carolina)
DE Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky (vs. Kentucky)
OLB Terrance Smith, Florida State (vs. Florida)
K Roberto Aguayo, Florida State (vs. Florida)
S Nate Andrews, Florida State (vs. Florida)
S Jamal Golden, Georgia Tech (vs. Georgia)
DT Adam Gotsis, Georgia Tech (vs. Georgia)
QB Terrel Hunt, Syracuse (vs. LSU)
OT/G Le’Raven Clark, Texas Tech (vs. Arkansas)