Safeties play a vital role as the last line of defense on the football field, and few positions require the athleticism and versatility that the safety position demands.

Once again, the SEC stockpiled a mind-blowing collection of safeties in 2014. Here are the five best groups of safeties from around the conference this season:

Position group rankings
Tight Ends
Defensive Ends
Linebackers

5. Arkansas: The Razorbacks combination of Rohan Gaines (recently suspended for this year’s Texas Bowl) and Alan Turner was as consistent as any safety tandem in the SEC in 2014. Gaines’ off-field issues aside, these two were both sure tacklers (121 combined tackles), helping limit opponents to the second-fewest explosive rushes (runs of at least 20 yards) of any team in the SEC. Safeties are often known for their prowess in pass defense, but both Gaines and Turner were playmakers capable of playing in the box and deep in coverage. Neither will dazzle you with flashy plays, but these two have as much substance as any pairing in the SEC.

4. Missouri: Senior safety and All-SEC selection Braylon Webb led the talented Mizzou secondary in 2014 with 69 tackles and four interceptions. Few safeties in the SEC played the ball in the air better than Webb, who stifled opposing offenses trying to stretch the field against the Tigers in 2014. He was a sure tackler and as fundamentally sound as any player in the conference, a staple of Missouri’s defense this season. However, Webb’s accomplishments on the field overshadowed the promising play of fellow safety Ian Simon, whose 44 tackles, interception, forced fumble and pair of passes defended also helped elevate the secondary. Together, Webb and Simon helped Mizzou allow the third-fewest explosive completions (catches of at least 30 yards) in 2014, and limiting big plays ultimately kept a pedestrian Tigers offense within striking distance in every game but one this year.

3. LSU: Few teams in the SEC had a pair of safeties capable of matching the athleticism of LSU’s Jalen Mills and Ronald Martin this season. The two combined to intercept just three passes, but they made up for a lack of takeaways in a number of other ways. Both players recorded at least 50 tackles in 2014, and both recorded at least five passes defended. Mills recorded three tackles for loss, while Martin forced a pair of fumbles during the season. And although it can’t always be quantified with statistics, no tandem of safeties was better in coverage than Mills and Martin, who helped lead LSU to the SEC’s No. 2 pass defense this season.

2. Alabama: The Crimson Tide boasted the SEC’s best individual safety in 2014 in junior Landon Collins, who was nominated for the Nagurski and Thorpe Awards this season. Collins, who admitted he mirrors his game after former Miami and Washington Redskins legend Sean Taylor, led his team in a Taylor-esque way this season, recording 90 tackles while adding a team-high three interceptions and six passes defended. He was joined at the safety position by Nick Perry, who filled in for the departed HaHa Clinton-Dix better than most anticipated. Perry added 74 tackles, a pair of picks and five passes defended to complement Collins, and together the duo helped Alabama boast the SEC’s No. 3 defense in 2014.

1. Ole Miss: The safety position was a huge part of the Rebels vaunted Landshark defense, led by senior Cody Prewitt and sophomore Tony Conner. Prewitt was an All-American in 2013 and served as the leader of the secondary in 2014. He made plays in the box as well as in coverage down the field, and was always in the right place to benefit his team. Conner, a former five-star recruit, was among the best strong safeties in the SEC. He was second on the team with 64 tackles in 2014 and added nine tackles for loss as a playmaker close to the line of scrimmage. Both players’ versatility in the secondary made them tough for opposing offenses to avoid, and Ole Miss held its opponents to fewer than 14 points per game in 2014 as a result.