How can we get better?

There’s a multitude of priorities this time of the year. But that’s one of them.

In between finalizing the 2016 class, planning logistics for spring practice, launching the 2017 recruiting effort in earnest and smoothing over whatever transitions have taken place with the coaching staff, SEC programs spend this time of the year doing some self-scouting.

We’ve followed suit, taking a look at each SEC West program to determine the most likely path to improvement in 2016.

Alabama: Develop The Offensive Line

It’s difficult to find a spot at which Alabama could get much better. The defense was outstanding at every level. Derrick Henry, Calvin Ridley and Jake Coker formed a very nice trio at the skill positions.

The offensive line is the spot that makes the most sense in terms of improvement. I’ve written about this since the season ended, but if there’s any “concern” with the team in 2016, it’s here.

Replacing Ryan Kelly, an All-SEC center, won’t be easy. J.C. Hassenauer likely is next man up there. Cam Robinson remains at left tackle, entering his third season there, so the blind side should be well-protected. Charles Baldwin, a top JUCO offensive tackle, is a good bet to replace Dominick Jackson at right tackle.

Ross Pierschbacher and Alphonse “Shank” Taylor were inexperienced in 2015, and have the potential to get much better this fall. Plus, the team has a number of young, developing players like Dallas Warmack and Lester Cotton that should at least push for starting roles.

Henry masked some of the issues for the 2015 line, which was applauded across the country after the season. Not that Alabama’s line was bad, but it just wasn’t as effective as its reputation. Multiple sites that focus on analytics and film study rated the group’s ’15 performance as good, but not elite. And by Tide standards, it can be better.

Improvement will help players like Bo Scarbrough, Damien Harris and whomever becomes the starting quarterback.

Arkansas: Improve The Pass Defense

The Razorbacks imploded in this area last year (37th to 117th nationally), the difference between this team contending in the SEC West and not finishing in the top 25.

The cornerbacks in 2016 mostly are the same players who had moderate success and near-total failure in ’14 and ’15. So there’s a lot of hope for that group this fall. Henre’ Toliver has the most potential, and he’ll be flanked by two seniors in a steady Jared Collins and a physical D.J. Dean.

Safety is a concern, as former high school quarterback Josh Liddell looked very much like a player still learning the position in 2015, and Santos Ramirez often was out of place. The Razorbacks aren’t a team that threatens to lead the SEC in sacks, although McTelvin Agim adds a dynamic pass rusher who could offer an immediate improvement. The team’s linebackers are questionable as well, defending the middle of the field against the pass also could be an issue.

Still, it would be a surprise if the team didn’t take a significant step forward in pass defense this season. If the unit can just get back to moderate success here, the defense can get back to being a true force in the SEC.

Auburn: A Healthy Carl Lawson

Granted, this is a major leap of faith. But it seems like Lawson is due for some good injury luck.

If Auburn gets 8 to 10 healthy games from its best defensive player, the unit will be much better. We saw in the season opener against Louisville how disruptive Lawson was even in the running game, until he hurt his hip. When he finally got healthy near the end of the season, he made his share of plays against sure-thing top 5 NFL draft pick Laremy Tunsil.

Montravius Adams has not met expectations during his college career, but he’s better than the rating the boo birds give him. And former five-star pass rusher Byron Cowart theoretically should make a significant leap forward in his second college season.

If Lawson is on the field, distracting offensive linemen and drawing double teams, the rest of the defense, and especially the other linemen, get better. And even a modest improvement on that side of the ball would do a lot for the 2016 Auburn team.

LSU: At Least Split With Arkansas, Ole Miss

If you wanted to summarize the downfall of LSU’s 2015 season in three words, you’d most likely choose “The Alabama game.” That was the biggest headliner of the year, though obviously not the only negative element.

Still, if LSU would’ve recovered from that to beat the Razorbacks and Rebels, it would’ve been the Tigers beating up on Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl, finishing the season in the top 5 and entering this year as a top 5 team.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda, right?

Well, looking forward to 2016, if the team can just manage to beat Arkansas — which has won back-to-back games against LSU — a 10-win regular season looks very possible. Beat Ole Miss too? All of the sudden you’re talking about very strong contention in the SEC West.

LSU should be better than the Hogs in 2016. There’s no reason that Arkansas should outphysical LSU or leverage its skill players to score more points. Ole Miss will be a little tougher, but that’s a tossup matchup at worst.

Mississippi State: Revive The Running Game

The talk is all about replacing Dak Prescott and De’Runnya Wilson. The bigger offensive issue in 2015, though, was the regression of the running game (including Prescott).

Part of it was the loss of some outstanding veteran offensive linemen following the 2014 season. Part of it was losing an underrated bowling ball of a running back in Josh Robinson. The left side of the ’15 line now departs, but it was no great shakes.

Mississippi State didn’t sign any ready-made offensive lineman in 2016, but Martinas Rankin was one of the highest-rated JUCO signees in the 2015 class. Perhaps he’ll finally develop into a difference-maker for the Bulldogs at offensive tackle.

Better line play will also help sort out the running back by committee approach that the team took last season. Brandon Holloway led the backfield with a paltry 92 carries but did average 4.5 yards on those and also caught 33 passes. He could emerge as a steady veteran presence at the position in 2016.

Ole Miss: Develop Greater Depth

In 2014, Ole Miss sort of fell apart at the seams once Laquon Treadwell and others got hurt. In 2015, October losses to Florida and Memphis in which the team played at less than its best dealt a major blow to the Rebels’ College Football Playoff chances.

Back-to-back wins against Alabama proved this team is good enough to beat anyone. But we’ve yet to see the Rebels put it together for a full season. Even with wins against the Tide, Ole Miss lost a combined seven games the last two seasons. Even with losses against the Rebels, Bama lost a combined three.

One of the major differences is depth. The 2016 class represented the fourth full cycle for Hugh Freeze. He now should have a depth chart build to survive some of the inevitable bumps that come along each season.

If Ole Miss can avoid the letdowns — a difficult “if” to achieve — it could find itself in the 2016 SEC Championship Game.

Texas A&M: Better Offensive Continuity

Offensive meetings are going to be, well, less offensive in College Station in 2016. At least that’s the mandate for coach Kevin Sumlin.

Gone are offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, offensive line coach Dave Christensen and quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray. The dissension better be gone also.

Texas A&M still has an embarrassment of riches at receiver. Josh Reynolds. Christian Kirk. Speedy Noil. Ricky Seals-Jones. And that’s just the most accomplished four. (As a corollary, the Aggies could really benefit from Noil getting his stuff together as well. He’s been in the doghouse for a long, long time.)

Trevor Knight is serviceable at quarterback, assuming he beats out Jake Hubenak. Whomever starts at quarterback isn’t going to be a first-round pick in the NFL draft or anything. The offensive line isn’t stacked with five-plus NFL players like it was recently.

But there’s enough talent, with Sumlin’s system, to score points and put up great numbers if only the team can all get on the same page. And that’ll be a must in 2016.