Just as it has been for the past several years, the SEC was a haven for defensive ends in 2014. The conference was home to one first team All-America selection and several other candidates to be chosen early in the NFL draft this spring.

Which teams had the best groups of defensive ends in 2014?

5. LSU: The Tigers defensive ends didn’t put up huge pass-rushing numbers, but they were among the most solid units in the conference. Senior Jermauria Rasco and junior Danielle Hunter both recorded upwards of 60 tackles, playing the run even better than they did the pass, also combining for 18.5 tackles for loss. They made their impact felt in other ways as well, with Hunter swatting down six passes and Rasco recording eight quarterback hurries. LSU was next to last in the SEC in sacks this season, but the ends played a big role in getting LSU to first in the conference in yards per play allowed.

4. Arkansas: Trey Flowers was the biggest snub from the All-SEC team. Despite low sack numbers (Flowers had 5.0, Arkansas was 10th in the conference with 21.0 sacks), Arkansas’ ends were a major part of the dominant front seven. Sophomores Deatrich Wise, Brandon Lewis and JaMichael Winston all played the run well and made life easy for the Razorbacks’ linebacking corps. Thanks mostly to Flowers’ quiet dominance, Arkansas was third in the SEC in run defense.

3. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs had one of the most versatile linemen in the conference this season in Preston Smith. The senior had 9.0 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and two blocked kicks. He led a unit that finished second in the SEC in total sacks this season. Smith had plenty of help, with Ryan Brown and A.J. Jefferson combining for 5.0 sacks, while end/tackle Chris Jones pitched in another 3.0. Brown and Jefferson also combined for 11.5 tackles for loss, helping the Bulldogs finished third in the SEC in that category.

2. Tennessee: The Volunteers are just a notch below the top team in the conference, led by two breakout stars in 2014. Derek Barnett burst onto the scene as a monster against both the run and the pass as a freshman, one of two players to break Jadeveon Clowney’s freshman sack record, finishing with 10.0. He also recorded 20.5 tackles for loss and was the second-leading tackler among defensive linemen in the SEC. Curt Maggitt was a star as well coming back from an ACL injury. Maggitt finished tied for second in the conference with 11.0 sacks, playing a hybrid defensive end/linebacker role. Assuming Maggitt returns in 2015, the Vols should have the most feared pairing in the conference.

1. Missouri: With SEC Defensive Player of the Year Shane Ray leading the way, Missouri topped the SEC in sacks this season. Ray and tag-team partner Markus Golden wreaked havoc on the SEC all season, combining for 22.5 sacks on the season, the highest total for a duo in the SEC. Their relentless pressure was a major factor in Missouri leading the SEC in sacks with 42 total sacks, good for 10th in the NCAA. Charles Harris and Rickey Hatley showed some raw potential behind the two stars, but Ray and Golden were an unmatched do-it-all pair