We reviewed the SEC’s biggest hits by defenders in 2012, and I’m not only a sucker for big hits but for huge offensive plays, too. And there weren’t too many bigger plays than these five:

5. Ace Sanders’ slippery punt return against Missouri

4. AJ McCarron to TJ Yeldon

3. Cordarrelle Patterson houses it against NC State

2. Johnny Manziel’s Heisman moment against Bama

1. Jarvis Landry’s one-handed catch

Going to drop Jarvis Jones out of first round. Not sure he’s a first-round talent. #NFLDraft.

— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) April 2, 2013

Brandt’s rationale for his comments is as follows, via NFL.com.

“I just see him as a one-position player,” Brandt said Tuesday night over the phone. “I see him as a guy that’s going to play with his hand on the ground and he’s going to try hard, and he’s going to come close to making sacks, but he’s not going to have 14.5 like he did at Georgia.

“I don’t think he can play in space. I don’t think he can be a 3-4 ‘backer that can drop into space and be effective,” Brandt continued. “When you see him come from one side and try to chase down a play, he doesn’t have that speed that you really need to have to play that position when he’s chasing a guy.

“I think he’s one of those guys that when you’re rushing the passer, he’s going to almost get there, but not quite.”

Jones terrorized the SEC with 28 sacks and 44 tackles for loss in just two seasons. The back-to-back first-team All-American hasn’t had the most flattering preparation for the NFL Draft. Jones neglected to work out at the NFL Combine, thus putting all the emphasis on his pro day, which didn’t turn out too well either. He looked sluggish and lethargic in some of the drills, especially his 4.92 40.

But some guys are just gamers, for lack of a better explanation. When the lights come on, the light switch flips. I’ve been around baseball players who had long swings and looked like easy outs in batting practice against good pitching, but when put in game situations, they hit double after double in the gap. Why? They’re competitors; they’re gamers, and when put in competitive situations they thrive. That’s Jarvis Jones. He may not run the best 40 time or have the quickest feet, but he plays much faster than he tests.

Assuming Jones’ neck injury is fine for NFL competition, for which he has already been cleared, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be a first-round pick. Jones is an elite pass rusher who stood out amidst the best defensive players in the most dominant defensive conference in the country. Just because someone doesn’t ‘test’ well doesn’t mean they won’t thrive.

Despite his lackluster pro day, Jones still feels like he’s the best player in the draft.

“At the end of the day I think I’m the number one player,” Jones told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after performing for NFL scouts at Georgia’s Pro Day.

And with the numbers he put up, it’s hard to argue with his reasoning. But falling out of the first round is a little presumptuous based upon one pro day showing and one 40 time.

NFL scouts know Jarvis Jones inside and out. They’ve watched film on him for two straight seasons, dominating the SEC and racking up sack after sack.

And if Jones’ crazy production is not worthy enough for a first-round pick, what is?

Photo Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Jones decided not to participate in last month’s NFL Combine, making his pro day all the more important. He was one of two SEC players who had the most to gain, with the second being Texas A&M’s Damontre Moore.

NFL coaches Mike Tomlin (Steelers), Mike Smith (Falcons) and Rex Ryan (Jets) were in attendance, along with defensive coordinators Rob Ryan (Saints), Ken Wisenhunt (Chargers) and Jack Del Rio (Broncos).

However, Jones had a lackluster day overall in front of the scouts. He ran an unimpressive 4.92 40-yard dash on a chilly morning, which would have put him second to last among linebackers who ran the 40 at the combine. Jones posted 20 reps of 225-pounds on bench press, which would have tied him for 16th at the combine.

However, despite a boring performance, Jones remains optimistic that he’s the best player in the draft.

“I’m a football player,” Jones told the media after the workout. “It’s about football, right? I’m a football player. That’s what I do. At the end of the day, you get those drills — I’m not saying they ain’t worth nothing — but you get those drills, running the 40 and all that stuff. You could get someone off the street who can run a 4.3, but they can’t play football. That’s easy.

“At the end of the day I think I’m the No. 1 player.”

His biggest obstacle is out of the way after a leading orthopedist Craig Brigham said Jones never had a significant spinal cord contusion earlier this month. Brigham believes that he had a very mild incident of a contusion or even a stinger.

Brigham concluded, “Jarvis is cleared to play without restriction.”

Jones had two All-American seasons at UGA, and a bad workout won’t erase the crooked numbers – 28 sacks and 44 tackles for loss – he posted on the stat sheet. But it will be interesting to see the impact it has, if any, on his draft stock.

Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

According to a report from National Football Post, leading orthopedist Craig Brigham said Jarvis Jones never had a significant spinal cord contusion. Brigham believes that Jones had a very mild incident of a contusion or even a stinger.

Brigham concluded, “Jarvis is cleared to play without restriction.”

As evidenced by Jones’ electrifying two seasons at Georgia, his spinal stenosis never reared its ugly head in Athens, and the situation should now be resolved.

In 2009, USC doctors diagnosed Jones with spinal stenosis and would not clear him medically, helping prompt a transfer to Georgia.

Doubt will still loom in some GMs minds, but we can expect Jones’ stock not to freefall in next month’s first round.

Jones racked up 28 sacks and 44 tackles for loss in just two seasons at Georgia. He will get to impress scouts at the Bulldogs’ pro day March 21st.

Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

And no two players in the SEC need a better performance than Jarvis Jones and Damontre Moore.

Jarvis Jones, Georgia: Jones chose not to work out at the combine, and it’s all or nothing during Georgia’s pro day on March 21st. With the spinal stenosis questions lingering and rumors of teams backing off the sure-fire first-round pick, Jones has one opportunity to work out in front of pro scouts. That includes bench press, running and other drills, whereas former combine participants can focus solely on what they didn’t perform up to standard.

Jones recently lashed out at the reports that teams are backing away from his stock, via the AJC:

“That ain’t true,” he said of the reports, before throwing out the first pitch of the Braves’ spring training game against Detroit at Disney. “People are still talking to me. Nobody has taken me off the board. The doctor said I was fine and cleared me and the [scouting] combine went fine for me. I was cleared medically. Teams know my situation. Everything went great. I did everything they asked me to do. I’ll have my pro day [at Georgia on March 21], and then I’m going to meet with a whole lot of teams.

“They all knew my situation [at the combine]. They just wanted me to explain to them what happened [at USC]. The doctors got all of my [test results]. I believe I’m fine. They said I was fine. So I trust them and I trust the doctors.”

Mel Kiper isn’t worried about Jones’ stock supposedly pummeling, because he still has him as the overall #1 prospect on the board. You can’t ignore the numbers Jones posted at Georgia – 28 sacks and 44 tackles for loss – that scream “Play-maker”.

Nonetheless, it will be a pressure-packed pro day for Jones.

Damontre Moore, Texas A&M: Moore’s situation is completely different than Jones’. Moore worked out at the combine, and he was dubbed the dreaded top underperformer. His 12 bench press reps (lowest of any defensive lineman), and his 4.95 40 didn’t do any favors for the once top-five draft pick. It’s not a reflection on Moore as a player, but his overall readiness for the combine was next to none. And no NFL team is really willing to risk a top draft pick on a defensive lineman with that lack of strength.

Since the combine, Moore has dropped out of several first-round projections. But his career 45 tackles for loss and 26.5 sacks won’t be overlooked.

Moore has a potential first-round pick riding on Texas A&M’s March 8th pro day.

Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

No. 2 – Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia

2012 stats: 85 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, one INT, three pass breakups, 39 QB hurries, two fumble recoveries, seven forced fumbles

Why he’s worthy: One of the most electrifying and game changing defensive players to ever suit up in the red and black almost never had the opportunity to do so because of an injury. Few thought the two-time consensus All-American Jarvis Jones would ever play football again, much less dominate opponents the way he did in just two seasons.

Jones transferred from USC where the medical staff would not clear him from a neck injury he suffered in 2009 against Oregon. But luckily for Mark Richt and Todd Grantham, Jones chose to come back home and was cleared by the Georgia medical staff. And what a profound impact he had.

To say he thrived in Grantham’s 3-4 defense would be an understatement. In just two short years, Jones racked up 28 sacks and 44 tackles for loss, leading the conference in both categories in back-to-back seasons.

Specifically in 2012, Jones had a stellar junior campaign while suffering from ankle and groin injuries. And through all the pain, Jones somehow notched 24.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles in just 12 games. Jones even led the country in all three categories, and he broke David Pollack’s single-season sack record of 14 in the bowl game against Nebraska.

Jones repeatedly saved his best against the Bulldogs’ most hated rival Florida. He dominated Florida in ’11 with four sacks and a forced fumble. But Jones trumped himself in 2012, totaling 13 tackles, two forced fumbles and three sacks, and his forced fumble of Jordan Reed at the goal line late in the fourth quarter sealed the win for the Bulldogs, handing Florida their only regular-season loss.

Jones was named the SEC’s AP Defensive Player of the Year over Jadeveon Clowney. He and Clowney both played the same number of games, but Jones racked up 31 more tackles, one more tackle for loss and 1.5 more sacks. And Jones forced four more fumbles than Clowney, too. That’s why he’s the top defensive player on some draft big boards.

Hopefully for Jones’ sake, his early career neck injury never rears its ugly head again. He should be a top-ten pick come April.

The Countdown

• No. 3 Jadeveon Clowney
  
• No. 4 Damontre Moore
  
• No. 5 Aaron Murray
  
• No. 6 Eddie Lacy
  
• No. 7 Todd Gurley
  
• No. 8 Dee Milliner
  
• No. 9 Luke Joeckel
• No. 10 Kevin Minter
• No. 11 AJ McCarron
• No. 12 Barrett Jones
• No. 13 Matt Elam
• No. 14 Cobi Hamilton
• No. 15 Chance Warmack
• No. 16 Jake Matthews
• No. 17 Jordan Matthews
• No. 18 CJ Mosley
• No. 19 Mike Gillislee
• No. 20 Cordarrelle Patterson
• No. 21 Chris Smith
• No. 22 Tyler Bray
• No. 23 Tyler Wilson
• No. 24 Johnthan Banks
• No. 25 Sam Montgomery

Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The dreadlock rushing monster Jones is said to be a top-five pick, and some experts have him as their top overall prospect on the board.

Jones has been a staple on Georgia’s defense and has led the SEC the last two years, racking up a combined 28 sacks and 44 tackles for loss. Those aren’t just gaudy numbers; those are stupid numbers.

Jones saved his best against Florida the last two years with 19 total tackles, seven sacks and three forced fumbles, leaving nightmares in Jeff Driskel, Jordan Reed and the entire Gator Nation’s minds at night.

He will be missed in the SEC on Saturdays, but it will be fun watching him come off the edge in the NFL.

Photo Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports

However, Georgia’s 12 wins and an SEC East crown have more to do with the explosive offense than the highly anticipated defense.

Individually, player-for-player and on paper, there’s not many other standouts around the country you would take over the bulk of Georgia’s starting lineup. Jones had an outstanding season, as he led the SEC in sacks (14.5) and tackles for loss (24.5) all the while missing two games due to injury. Alec Ogletree really came into his own at linebacker and led the team in tackles, and he moves around the field like a wide receiver ready to jack your jaw. You’ll find out how just good he is in the NFL. The combination of Shawn Williams and Bacarri Rambo was one of the top safety duos in the country, and they both returned for their senior seasons with unfinished business. Massive nose tackle and road grader John Jenkins spurned the NFL to return to Georgia for his senior season, too, and he looked to be the best run-controlling nose tackle in college football. And his backup Kwame Geathers could have started for 95 percent of other defensive lines in college football.

It was ‘the year’ for the Bulldogs, but collectively, this unit never really lived up to expectation and underachieved.

The season started slow for the defense, when three of those returning starters and one new starter were suspended for multiple games. Rambo and Ogletree both served four-game suspensions for failing the school’s substance abuse policy. Corner Sanders Commings and linebacker Chase Vasser served two-game suspensions for offseason arrests.

And it showed in their very first game. Buffalo moved the ball to the tune of nearly 200 yards on the ground.  You could see the four were missed from the get-go.

When all four starters were finally on the field together, the offense had to produce 51 points to beat Tennessee, who put up 44 points and 478 total yards of offense. One could tell there were major problems on defense, but we all just assumed it would get cleaned up.  After all, there was just too much talent for things not to improve, right? The very next week, South Carolina pummeled the Bulldogs to the tune of 35-7, and UGA was outgained 230 to 115 yards on the ground.

Georgia’s rush defense in 2011 was 11th in the country. But in 2012, this group finished 81st, surrendering over 182 yards on the ground per game to opponents. They never could quite stop the run.

Eight teams surpassed 190 yards on the ground against the Bulldogs in Buffalo, Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech, Alabama and Nebraska, with three of those teams notching 300-plus yards on the ground. Four or five of those teams had no business getting anywhere close to that kind of yardage.

Strong showings against Vanderbilt, Florida, Ole Miss and Auburn were really the staple of the defense. All four combined for just 22 points, and one could see the flashes of greatness of what this group could accomplish as a unit.

Georgia’s run defense bit them the most against Alabama in the SEC Championship. The Tide ran for 350 yards on the ground behind their monster offensive line and physical rushing attack. It wasn’t the last-second non-spike or the clock mismanagement at the end of the game that produced the loss; it was the run defense, and their inability to stop Alabama from getting back into the game when the Bulldogs had two different leads of 21-10 early in the game and 28-25 in the fourth quarter.

Many of the 11 starters for Georgia and a few backups will be playing on Sundays for years in the future and putting up numbers in the NFL. But the story of the ‘12 Bulldogs’ defense won’t be its NFL legacy – it will be more about what could have been and the expectation they never lived up to.

12-2, an SEC East regular season championship and a Capital One Bowl trophy is a great season, but this team had so much more in them.

Photo Credit: Douglas Jones-USA TODAY Sports

The Game: #7 Georgia vs. #16 Nebraska

What’s at stake: A 12-win season
A 12-win season is no joke, folks. The SEC East winners will try to end their fantastic season on a high note, very different than last year’s Outback Bowl loss to Michigan State. The good news is that Nebraska is ranked 16th, as top ten teams have plagued Georgia over Aaron Murray’s career. With so many seniors and draft eligible players leaving on the defensive side of the ball, this is such a big game for Mark Richt and those players’ legacies to go out on top. A 12-2 finish, with loses only to South Carolina and Alabama, would be a big year – not to mention crushing a Big Ten team on New Year’s Day is just as awesome.

Why UGA will win: Dominant running game
Nebraska may be 22nd in total defense and 1st in passing defense in the country, but the run defense is 96th, allowing over 194 yards per game on the ground. Georgia’s offense has been explosive passing the ball with Murray, but the emergence of freshmen running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall have made Murray that much more dangerous. Gurley is the complete package at the position, as he has rushed for 1,260 yards and 16 touchdowns, while Keith Marshall reminds me more of an ACC back than anything. Marshall can hit the homerun and take it to the house outside, but Gurley is the between-the-tackles runner who thrives against physical defenses. And Georgia will take it to Nebraska’s run defense all day, which allowed over 500 yards rushing to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game.

Why UGA will lose: Run defense
The one aspect of the Georgia defense that scares me about Nebraska is their run defense. John Jenkins is out for grade issues, and DE Abry Jones is returning from a broken ankle and hasn’t played in several weeks. In addition, Georgia has given up over 300 yards per game rushing the last three games. And Nebraska is ranked 8th in the country running the ball, averaging over 254 yards per game. Nebraska isn’t Alabama or Georgia Tech, but they do have a running quarterback and an explosive ground game. Georgia will need their front seven to play its best game of the season.

3 players UGA must stop: QB Taylor Martinez, RB Ameer Abdullah and DE Eric Martin
Taylor Martinez is the lifeblood of the Husker’s offense. He’s combined for 3,640 yards and 31 touchdowns, and Nebraska’s offense goes as he goes. Running back Ameer Abdullah eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark with 1,089 yards and eight touchdowns, and the combination of he and Martinez forms a nice one-two punch with the zone-read option. Nebraska’s biggest defensive weapon has been DE Eric Martin. Martin has 16 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. The Georgia offensive line will need to put a hat on Martin on passing plays. He’s a great looking player.

3 players for UGA who must play well: RB Todd Gurley, QB Aaron Murray and DT Kwame Geathers
Georgia’s biggest weapon on offense has been Todd Gurley. He’s the best back in the SEC in ‘12, and he may be the best freshman player in the country not named Johnny Manziel. When the running game of Gurley is clicking, it makes the play action with Murray so potent. Murray has thrown for 3,466 yards and 31 touchdowns, making him the only player in SEC history to throw for three 3,000-yard seasons three years in a row. With nose guard John Jenkins out, backup Kwame Geathers will get a chance to shine. Geathers has been on the fence of whether or not to turn pro early, and he’ll do fine against Nebraska’s heavy run offense.

MVP prediction: OLB Jarvis Jones
Needing only two sacks to break David Pollack’s Georgia record, I fully expect Jarvis Jones to wreak havoc on Taylor Martinez. Jones is the perfect rush linebacker in the 3-4 defense, and he’ll be in April’s NFL Draft. Watch out for Jones, who will be gunning for Pollack’s record; he’ll win the MVP.

Photo Credit:  Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Former Georgia great defensive end David Pollack’s sack record is in jeopardy of being broken by stud linebacker Jarvis Jones. Pollack registered 14 in 2002, setting a single-season record for the Bulldogs.

Jones currently has 12.5 sacks, only needing two to etch his name above Pollack’s.

“Just to be even within reaching that sack record here at the University of Georgia, so many great players have come and did so much for this school, it’s a great accomplishment for me,” Jones said. “If I get it, I’m going to tell David thanks. It would be wonderful, man.”

To look at what Jones has accomplished in just two seasons for Georgia is nothing short of spectacular. And he sat out two full games this season.  He’s notched 26 sacks in two seasons, good for fifth all-time on the Georgia list, compared to Pollack’s 36 in four seasons. Pollack is fourth on the SEC career sack list.

Jones comes to play on the biggest stages, too. Just look at what he’s done against Florida the last two seasons – five sacks and three forced fumbles – simply incredible. And he’s done it with class, too, after being told by USC he couldn’t play football for them because of a neck injury.

Photo Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports