Running backs remain a vital part of football in the Southeastern Conference.

By the time the NFL draft comes around, it’s a position that lends itself to wild popularity. For example, Alex Collins ran for more than 1,000 yards in all three of his seasons at Arkansas. Even fans of other SEC teams are aware of him (as opposed to a player like Mississippi State defensive tackle Chris Jones, pegged to get drafted on the second day just like Collins).

Still, it’s one of the most disposable positions at the NFL level. Other than the legendarily-short career span, teams have been able to find contributors in the late rounds or even free agency with regularity. And sometimes early draft picks like Trent Richardson become colossal busts.

That makes for an interesting dichotomy in which Heisman Trophy winners who dominate for national championship teams probably are not first-round picks.

Here’s a look at every relevant SEC running back and fullback in the upcoming NFL draft, a projection of their draft selection and a potential landing spot that would make sense.

1. Alabama RB Derrick Henry

Projection: Second round

Skill set: Henry is the equivalent of a pro football science experiment. He measured 6-foot-2.5 and 247 pounds at the NFL Combine, yet posted very good numbers in the 40-yard dash, vertical leap and standing broad jump. An upright runner, Henry needs a runway to reach top gear — but if he does, he’s a threat to burst past the second and third levels of a defense.

Henry also proved insanely durable in Alabama’s 2015 season, which makes sense given his size. Some scouts question his vision. The Tide used him less in the passing game than every feature back the team has enjoyed in the Nick Saban era. And despite his physicality, he did not perform well as a pass blocker, according to analytics provided by ProFootballFocus.com.

He’s a weird case study in that he needs 30-plus carries to be at his most effective. At the NFL level in particular he may get stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage more often than average, but also break off a big run more often than average. But his skill set as a third-down back is a question mark, and in today’s NFL he’ll more likely be used as part of a committee. We see him as a top 20 to 25 back at the next level — as an average or slightly below-average starter.

Best fit: Seattle. Thomas Rawls is expected to assume control as the Seahawks’ lead back after emerging in 2015. Seattle isn’t expected to draft a running back before the third day. The Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans or Dallas Cowboys are more likely landing spots. But the franchise has been unpredictable in the NFL draft, and they’ve shown a penchant for selecting elite, unique athletes like Earl Thomas, Bruce Irvin and Paul Richardson. Plus, you can’t tell me that the fans wouldn’t adore the opportunity to replace Marshawn Lynch with Derrick Henry. It’s unlikely. But perhaps the personnel folks in Seattle would not be able to help themselves if Henry remained available until the 56th overall pick.

2. Arkansas RB Alex Collins

Projection: Second or third round

Skill set: A strong, no-nonsense north-south runner, Collins isn’t the otherworldly athlete that we’ve seen in the SEC in the form of Todd Gurley, Derrick Henry or Leonard Fournette. But he’s not too far off, either. He has good speed and elite acceleration. He can bounce off of weak tackle attempts. He may be the most complete SEC back in this draft, capable of getting tough yards as a bell cow but also an asset as a pass-catcher and pass blocker. He’s more than capable of becoming an NFL starter or being a strong part of a committee.

Best fit: Denver. The Broncos are going through a major transition on offense as the team hired coach Gary Kubiak prior to 2015 and quarterback Peyton Manning should be announcing his retirement soon. Collins can excel in a zone blocking scheme and also help protect Brock Osweiler or whomever starts at quarterback.

3. Arkansas RB Jonathan Williams

Projection: Third, fourth or fifth round

Skill set: He missed the entire 2015 season due to a foot injury that prevented him from doing all the drills at the NFL Combine. But he should be healthy in time for OTAs and will be full go for the 2016 season. A powerful between-the-tackles runner, Williams isn’t as fast as Collins. But just like his former teammate, he’s a well-rounded player who can help in pass protection. And good luck trying to wrangle him to the ground with an arm tackle.

Best fit: New England. The Patriots are well-known for looking for value during the NFL draft. And a running back who hasn’t played in one year is a good place to find it. LeGarrette Blount is set to test free agency and New England has preferred inside-the-tackles runners in recent years. So there’s a definite need that Williams could fill.

4. Alabama RB Kenyan Drake

Projection: Third, fourth or fifth round

Skill set: He’s a ready-made third-down back at the NFL level who also could help on special teams. Although he didn’t get targeted as often as some suspected in 2015 — perhaps due to his recovery from a gruesome leg injury — he proved to be an asset as a receiver while at Alabama. One of the fastest backs in this draft class, he’ll play a niche role in the NFL, but if he stays healthy could make an immediate impact.

Best fit: Washington. Alfred Morris and Pierre Thomas are unrestricted free agents and Chris Thompson is a restricted free agent. The Redskins are unlikely to be drafting an every-down starter early, but it’s easy to see the team supplementing its free agent plan with a versatile player like Drake in one of the middle rounds.

5. Florida RB Kelvin Taylor

Projection: Fifth, sixth or seventh round

Skill set: Although he’s got good acceleration, Taylor is hardly the kind of player you’d label as “explosive,” which his NFL Combine testing seemed to prove. He’s more reliable and sturdy than he is electrifying, even given his handicap in Florida’s offense (and behind Florida’s offensive line) the last two seasons. He does possess good vision and short-area agility, which are helpful regardless of the blocking scheme. He’s also got an NFL pedigree as the son of Fred Taylor.

Best fit: Tennessee. The Titans struggled to run the ball all year in 2015. In addition to looking for offensive line help to protect last year’s top pick, quarterback Marcus Mariota, Tennessee would do well to upgrade at the running back spot once they’ve addressed a few other needs.

6. Georgia RB Keith Marshall

Projection: Sixth or seventh round or priority free agent

Skill set: Speed. That’s the No. 1 element to Marshall’s game, which he illustrated at the Combine by running a 4.31 40-yard dash. Combined with a terrific effort on the bench press and an apparent good bill of health, those numbers should be good enough to get Marshall drafted somewhere. He’s a patient runner with good vision who knows when to kick it into a higher gear. Those numbers at the Combine also caused some second-guessing: Why didn’t Georgia play him more when Nick Chubb got hurt in 2015? This guy was at least as explosive as Todd Gurley when he first arrived in Athens, and it appears that he’s back to 100 percent physically (however long that lasts).

Best fit: Baltimore. The Ravens are known to love SEC players under the watch of Ozzie Newsome. Plus, by this point in the draft, teams are looking for value or special teams help regardless of their needs. Marshall’s skill set would work well within Baltimore’s zone scheme. Plus the running-back-by-committee approach could help keep him fresh and ensure that he can get through an entire season.

7. Georgia FB Quayvon Hicks

Projection: Seventh round or priority free agent

Skill set: Fullback is a dead position at the NFL level. These days, offensive players in the 250 to 265-pound range, which is where Hicks falls, must be able to do a little of everything. He can be a lead blocker, catch the ball out of the backfield or even carry. At Georgia he cross-trained at H-back, tight end and running back in addition to playing numerous special teams. The latter is what could get him drafted or at least signed as a priority free agent.

Best fit: Carolina. The Panthers have a propensity for big-bodied ball-carriers (see: Mike Tolbert) and a recent history of taking players with varying skill sets and blending them all together in a delightful offensive mix.

THE REST

8. Auburn RB Peyton Barber (seventh round or priority free agent)

9. South Carolina RB Brandon Wilds (priority free agent)

10. Texas A&M RB Tra Carson (priority free agent)

11. Missouri RB Russell Hansbrough (priority free agent/free agent)

12. Ole Miss RB Jaylen Walton (free agent)

13. Texas A&M RB Brandon Williams (free agent)