When the next SEC Media Days roll around, there’s no doubt which team will be picked to win the East in 2018 — it’s going to be Georgia in a landslide. Outside of some South Carolina truthers, the Bulldogs will get the benefit of the doubt from nearly every prognosticator this offseason coming off an SEC Championship campaign.

While the Bulldogs will be an easy choice for many, former UGA standout lineman and current SEC Network analyst Matt Stinchcomb recently indicated several areas of concerns he has with this Georgia team heading into the dog days of the offseason.

During an appearance on WJOX 94.5 FM radio program 3 Man Front, Stinchcomb offered up the opinion that Georgia won’t struggle to replace Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, despite what some may have you believe. Instead, finding a go-to receiver in the clutch and successfully managing a tricky quarterback situation are the keys to the offseason for UGA’s offense in Stinchcomb’s eyes.

Here’s what Stinchcomb had to say when asked about the concerns he had for this Georgia program heading into 2018.

“I think (losing) Javon Wims at wide receiver, who really emerged as a security blanket on third down — just throw it near him and he was able to make big plays for a then-true freshman,” Stinchcomb said on the air.

“I think managing that quarterback question mark — which shouldn’t be but will become so. We all know everyone is going to say, ‘Oh, it’s a quarterback competition. Who’s going to be the starter? Will it be a dual quarterback system with Justin Fields being in there as the No. 1 overall recruit.’ Managing that entire narrative that is going to be forced on the program, I think will be important. Knowing that you have a returning starter that’s only in his second year in collegiate play.”

Last season’s success by Georgia was fueled by the incredible efforts of Kirby Smart’s and Mel Tucker’s defense. The SEC Network host isn’t sold on the fact that the Bulldogs will manage to replace the production lost this offseason.

“The playmakers that you have on defense, you aren’t going to replace Roquan Smith. There’s not many of those guys running around out there,” Stinchcomb continued. “I saw Reuben Foster at Alabama and said that’s about as pretty as it gets and then I see Roquan Smith in his senior year, he took it up several ticks with his linebacker play. You’re just not going to have a guy step in. You’re not going to have two or three guys step in with the level of productivity that Roquan Smith had.

“I think the middle of that defense is a concern. Trenton Thompson underachieved during his collegiate career, but he was still a bit of an attention grabber from a gameplan standpoint, from an offensive protection standpoint. The front seven has me more concerned than the secondary that’s going to lose some key players as well.”

If Georgia can successfully navigate these issues in time for the meat of the SEC schedule, the Bulldogs should cruise to another East Division title. However, that task is easier said than done and it’s clear Stinchcomb sees some holes in the UGA roster that need to be filled before Smart’s program returns to the national stage in postseason play.