The holidays are here and that means SEC bowl games are close to follow.
ESPN released its rankings for the top 25 players in the conference from the 2016 season on Friday morning, and without surprise, it’s flooded with Alabama starters.
In fact, four Alabama players were ranked in the top 10, including the top overall player in Jonathan Allen, who was a beast all season. How many Alabama players will be first-round picks this coming spring? It’ll be interesting to watch.
Vanderbilt’s Zach Cunningham made the cut at No. 3. Cunningham is a former state of Alabama prep player, too. Cunningham will be a great NFL player.
One player we thought that could have been easily ranked in the top 10 is LSU safety Jamal Adams. The Texas-native has been a staple in LSU’s defensive backfield for three years, and he should be a very good NFL defensive back. Adams has been compared to former Steeler Troy Polamalu, and although the hair isn’t there, the instincts and crazy athleticism certainly are.
Below we’ve provided the top 10. You can check out the rest here:
1. Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama
2. Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
3. Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt
4. Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
5. Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
6. Jalen Hurts, QB, Alabama
7. Minkah Fitzpatrick, CB, Alabama
8. Arden Key, LB/DE, LSU
9. Teez Tabor, CB, Florida
10. Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
