Two former SEC players have received higher ratings than they should, according to NFL.com’s Chad Reuter.

The analyst says two former SEC defensive linemen have been overrated during the evaluation process: Alabama’s A’Shawn Robinson and Ole Miss’ Robert Nkemdiche.

Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss: It’s not as though Nkemdiche hasn’t shown talent on the field. He performed quite well at the combine, too, confirming the athleticism everyone saw on Saturdays. But with an inconsistent motor and lack of production, it doesn’t make sense to consider him a top-20 prospect. And in today’s NFL, character issues are front and center on teams’ minds, so Nkemdiche’s off-field issues could hurt him. If he puts it all together on the field and stays out of trouble off the field once he enters the NFL, some team might get a great find. But I’ll keep projecting him as a second-round pick, as it better displays the risks associated with the selection.

Nkemdiche is certainly hard to figure out. The talent is obviously there; however, it comes down to desire with him. How great does he want to be? Does he want to dominate offensive linemen every play? Will the off-the-field concerns go away?

A’Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama: It was a tough ask for a college lineman to move Robinson off the ball, and he had enough athleticism to make plays against lesser competition. But he plays too upright, which will make life difficult for him when he meets veteran NFL offensive linemen with experience staying low and playing with leverage. Will he be a strong rotational player who can eat up space and challenge linemen? Yes. Will he be the sort of difference-maker (especially rushing the pass) expected by teams and fans if picked in the top 15 overall? Not unless he plays lower and has his motor running hot on every play.

Aside from the fact that Robinson looks like he’s 35 with his bald head and scary goatee, he seems more likely of the two to be a surer thing in the draft. Robinson was also the only true freshman under Nick Saban at Alabama to lead the team in sacks. But perhaps the biggest divider of the two is his off-the-field peace of mind. There’s no baggage with Robinson, while Nkemdiche’s off-the-field concerns have been well documented.

Here’s what ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper said about the two earlier this year:

“You know what you’re getting with Robinson,” Kiper said. “With Nkemdiche … some struggles at the end of the year. The off-the-field problem. And he wasn’t as productive as he should’ve been.

“You have some intangible issues with him that you don’t with Robinson.”

“A’Shawn Robinson is a guy that’s an ideal player for today’s NFL,” Kiper said. “He showed this year he can get after the quarterback. He was the stopping the run on the way to the quarterback.”

Do you think these two are overrated heading into this year’s NFL Draft?