Without question, the SEC’s deepest position on defense this season is its linebackers, a talent-rich group with star power, depth and supreme NFL potential.

The majority of the most productive reside in the Eastern Division, specifically between the hedges where Georgia has a handful of outside linebackers who could start for any team in college football. Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt has the luxury of three all-conference caliber tacklers on his unit headlining our list.

Two of the league’s three best linebackers missed all of spring practice, but that doesn’t change how dominance at the position will shake out this fall. Mizzou’s Kentrell Brothers and Georgia sophomore Lorenzo Carter are among the players that improved their stock over the last month or two with impressive spring performances.

It should be noted that there’s several Western Division linebackers — and two from the East — not mentioned that would fall in the No. 11-17 range. Brooks Ellis from Arkansas, LSU’s Kendell Beckwith, Mississippi State’s Beniquez Brown, Mississippi’s C.J. Johnson, Kentucky’s Josh Forrest, Tennessee’s Curt Maggitt and Vanderbilt’s Nigel Bowden all get a thumbs up.

There’s even a good chance Mizzou veteran Michael Scherer leads the league in tackles next season, but he didn’t make the cut. That’s how deep this league is at the position heading into fall.

Editor’s note: For the most part, this list is determined by who I’m projecting as the SEC’s most productive linebackers this fall in terms of overall disruption, tackles, impact, etc. It does not have an NFL draft emphasis. That would constitute an entirely different ranking.

Post-spring player rankings series

SEC’s best linebackers post-spring

10. Stephen Weatherly, Vanderbilt — If this kid played in a brighter spotlight, he would receive noticeable preseason buzz. He’s a matchup nightmare in Derek Mason’s 3-4 scheme at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, a Benardrick McKinney clone with an ability to anticipate an offense’s next move. His 12.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage last season as a sophomore was the second highest total at Vanderbilt in the last 15 years.

9. Skai Moore, South Carolina — When Moore is dominate on the inside, South Carolina’s defense flourishes. The Gamecocks’ leading tackler last fall during his first season as a starter, Moore is a rangy playmaker who often finds the football. His development as the leader in Jon Hoke’s front seven is paramount to this defense’s overall worth this fall.

8. Jordan Jenkins, Georgia — The elder statesman in the Bulldogs’ top-notch trio, Jenkins has 32 starts and 146 total tackles under his belt heading into his final campaign. Voted Georgia’s most improved player last fall, Jenkins posted 9.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and two fumble recoveries. This year could be his best.

7. Cassanova McKinzy, Auburn — One of two seasoned tacklers who skipped the NFL draft for another season on the Plains, McKinzy is on his third defensive coordinator with the Tigers but has quickly adapted to both inside linebacker spots on Auburn’s new-look defense. He’ll play on Sundays as an athletic run-stopper. Kris Frost is the other linebacker with All-SEC potential in Will Muschamp’s arsenal this season.

6. Jaylen Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee — A relative unknown heading into his sophomore season in 2014, Reeves-Maybin not only tied for the team lead in tackles but also made 11 stops behind the line of scrimmage as a first-year starter. Maggitt’s numbers were equally impressive and he could be inserted here as well, but I see Reeves-Maybin as the more natural linebacker who can handle coverage duties in space at a higher level. It looks like most of Maggitt’s snaps this season will come in a three-point stance.

5. Kentrell Brothers, Missouri — The next captain of the Tigers’ defense alongside nose guard Harold Brantley, Brothers is one of the league’s best in pursuit and rarely misses tackles when he has a player lined up. The senior linebacker had an excellent spring and was rarely caught out of position. The multi-year starter should eclipse the 100-tackle mark for the second straight season.

4. Lorenzo Carter, Georgia — One of the league’s most impressive players during spring practice, Carter was unblockable after adding nearly 25 pounds of muscle in the offseason to his freakish 6-foot-6 frame. He played less than half of Georgia’s defensive snaps as a true freshman but still managed 4.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. By season’s end as a starter, he was arguably the Bulldogs’ best defensive player and easily their most productive. Pruitt’s expecting a spectacular season from the former five-star.

3. Antonio Morrison, Florida — The Gators have been tight-lipped concerning the extent of Morrison’s knee injury which caused him to miss spring practice and the coaching staff is cautiously optimistic. Last week, coach Jim McElwain said Morrison still had ‘a ways to go’ before returning to the field and could miss the start of fall practice. The team’s leading tackler last fall by an incredible 37 stops is expected to become the centerpiece of Florida’s front seven this season following Dante Fowler’s departure.

2. Reggie Ragland, Alabama — Nick Saban and Kirby Smart are counting on this senior to handle an active leadership role on a defense playing without All-American safety Landon Collins. Ragland earned All-SEC honors last season after replacing C.J. Mosley at the weakside spot. He was the Crimson Tide’s most consistent defensive player and played well enough to earn a semifinalist nod for the Butkus Award. Should Alabama capture another SEC Championship this fall, Ragland — along with defensive linemen A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed — will lead the way.

1. Leonard Floyd, Georgia — Perhaps the SEC’s most physically-gifted player at any position, this outside linebacker is the key ingredient to a College Football Playoff run for the Bulldogs, a potential league player of the year stalwart pass rusher on defense. Georgia linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer says Floyd will be ‘full-go’ in August from a shoulder injury that sidelined him during the spring. Floyd has led the Bulldogs in sacks each of his first two seasons and should hit double digits in the category this fall.