Finally. Draft week is here.

That means the mocks, the rumors and the nitpicking can take a backseat. We don’t know what will happen in the 2019 NFL Draft, but we know it’ll have plenty of intrigue, and plenty of SEC players flying off the board.

Ahead of Thursday’s action, I decided to take a look at some guys who I expect to be undervalued this week, at least based on how they’ve been talked about in the pre-draft process. These are the players who I’d bet on to outperform wherever they’re drafted:

1. Josh Jacobs, Alabama RB

I’ll be honest. Jacobs is the first player who came to mind with a list like this. The mock drafts have Jacobs projected as a late-first round pick with the possibility of waiting until Friday to hear his name called. I get it. He’s not Saquon Barkley or Leonard Fournette from a freakish standpoint, which is why he’s not considered a top 5 prospect. I’m not saying he should be given the nature of the position and how talented the top of the draft is.

But man, Jacobs just does everything you’d want in a franchise running back.

He runs like every play is his last, he blocks like he’s protecting his family and he has a burst that will translate at the next level. The “he’s never been a featured back” argument is weak, too. To me, he’s someone who should be highly regarded because he only had 251 carries in college in that crowded Alabama backfield.

Jacobs has some of those Alvin Kamara-like benefits that I think will net him several Pro Bowl appearances. You’d take that from a late-first round pick all day, every day.

2. Josh Allen, Kentucky edge

Wait a minute. Isn’t Allen a likely top 5 pick? Indeed he is. I still think he can outperform that.

If you read what I wrote about Allen on Monday, this shouldn’t come as news. I do believe there are several years in which he’d be the No. 1 overall pick. The year that he had at Kentucky was unbelievable statistically speaking, but it really doesn’t even account for how well he played in coverage. That’s what makes him such a complete player.

And, as Mark Stoops said, the guy has never been hurt. He takes extremely good care of his body, and as a 4-year guy who got increasingly better as an all-around player, I’m not concerned about him just being a 1-year wonder. The thinking is that Allen will have to develop his technique more as an edge rusher, but I wouldn’t view that as a limitation for someone with his work ethic (not many dudes go from 2-star recruits to top-5 picks).

Allen will be the face of an NFL defense for the next decade, and teams will be looking back on this draft wondering if he should’ve gone No. 1 overall.

3. Lamont Gaillard, Georgia OL

I get that tackles are sexier prospects and drafting an interior offensive lineman high might not be an obvious thought, but Gaillard is going to make a front office look super smart in the middle of the draft.

A lot of that is based on what we’ve seen from him the past 3 years as a starter. You could make a case that he’ll be the toughest person to replace from the 2018 squad. That’s how valuable the Georgia captain was.

And while there are some knocks on Gaillard — he lacks ideal interior size and technique — what can’t be denied is his leadership on that side of the ball, and how well he finishes plays. Someone who played extremely well against Quinnen Williams in the SEC Championship should be able to move past any notion that he won’t be able to handle NFL defensive tackles … or NFL linebackers:

Gaillard seems like a guy who is going to be able to overcome whatever size issues he might have with his “dawg-like” mentality, and he’ll be a plug-and-play starter for a long time.

4. Hjalte Froholdt, Arkansas OL

OK, so this isn’t the first time I made this argument, but it bears repeating because Froholdt is still being projected as a late-round pick. Cheers to whoever pulls off that move to land the Danish interior offensive lineman. He’s super versatile having played all 3 interior positions, and there’s reason to believe he’s still getting better as an offensive lineman (he came to Arkansas as a defensive lineman).

Froholdt is an elite pass-blocker and he’d provide immediate, low-risk protection for a team with a franchise quarterback. That’s tremendous value late in the draft, even if it’s not the type of move that’s going to gain headlines or win fan support. But I have this belief that contrary to the way Froholdt’s last 2 seasons went at Arkansas, we’re going to look up 8 years from now and see him as a staple on a playoff team.

And if you can get one of those guys on Day 3, well that sounds pretty smart.

5. Deshaun Davis, Auburn LB

There’s a decent chance that Davis won’t be drafted. I get what the concerns are — he’s too short, he doesn’t cover well to play in this era, etc. When teams are trying to hit home runs late in the draft, someone like Davis doesn’t jump out as a high upside guy.

But you know what I think he’ll become? Some who’s going to have a long NFL career. Why? Well, for all the knocks on his speed and how much he improvises, the All-SEC selection has a nose for the ballcarrier that you just can’t teach. He had 112 tackles and 15 tackles for loss in the toughest division in college football. The production is there, and so is the work ethic.

Yeah, he might not have some of the physical tools needed to make him an All-Pro linebacker, and his strengths are a little more throwback, but there should still be a market for a player like Davis on Day 3. It won’t surprise me when he’s one of the rare late-round/undrafted free agents who is still making plays into his 30s.