We know the SEC will have the most first-round picks Thursday night and the most overall draft picks this weekend.

Saying so is as provocative as predicting Alabama will wear crimson tops with white pants at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

But there will be drama and surprises throughout the NFL Draft. Here are the five storylines that fascinate me the most:

1. What is the pecking order of SEC running backs?

Nick Chubb left Georgia ranked second all-time in the school and SEC with 4,769 yards, but I think there’s a good chance three other SEC running backs are drafted ahead of him.

Blame Alvin Kamara for that. The NFL covets versatility and, more and more, we’re seeing running backs who do more than run downhill.

Derrius Guice, Sony Michel and Kerryon Johnson have shown open field explosiveness on everything from tosses and direct snaps to wheel routes. That’s not to suggest Chubb isn’t capable of making those plays, but it’s not his preferred style. He’s far more traditional.

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Given the way the NFL is going, I won’t be surprised if those three go ahead of him.

2. Calvin Ridley or Christian Kirk, Part 236

These two have been linked since, what, their sophomore year of high school?

Ridley was the No. 2-ranked receiver in the 2015 recruiting class. Kirk was No. 6.

Ridley led the SEC with 89 receptions as a freshman. Kirk finished fourth with 80 — in two fewer games. Both topped 1,000 yards.

Kirk won the receiving title as a sophomore, with 83. Ridley finished tied for second with 72.

Kirk added 71 more catches this past season as a junior, scoring on 10 of them. Ridley’s totals were a bit lower, but his fifth TD reception helped Alabama win another national title.

The battle continues this week.

Who goes first in the draft? Ridley, who runs crisper routes? Or Kirk, whose return skills in the open field make him more dangerous?

They are a smaller version of Julio Jones vs. A.J. Green.

3. Where are the SEC QBs?

Short answer: Watching at home.

Arkansas’ Austin Allen generally is considered the most likely SEC QB to be drafted (on Day 3), but there’s a chance neither he nor LSU’s Danny Etling hear their name called.

The SEC has been shut out before. Recently, too. In 2015, no SEC QB was drafted. That was the year Jameis Winston went No. 1 overall. Winston, of course, grew up near Birmingham, Ala., but passed on the SEC in favor of FSU.

Likewise, this draft class is highlighted by QBs from SEC states who starred elsewhere.

The SEC showed little interest in Baker Mayfield (Austin, Texas), Lamar Jackson (Boynton Beach, Fla.) or Mason Rudolph (Rock Hill, S.C.).

Mayfield and Jackson are the past two Heisman winners and likely early first-round picks. Rudolph, who wanted to go to South Carolina, is regarded as the sixth-best QB prospect and could go as early as the second round.

4. Will the defense dominate Day 1 again?

The SEC had 9 defensive players taken in the first round last year.

They won’t match that total again, but it’s likely that the majority of first-rounders again will come from that side of the ball.

Peter King projected 8 SEC players to be taken in the first round — 5 on the defensive side.

Charley Casserly projected 10 SEC players — also 5 on defense.

The last time the SEC had more offensive players taken in the first round than defensive players was 2015.

5. What happens to Antonio Callaway?

Do you trust the scouting reports? Or the police reports?

Ultimately, that answer will determine where the talented-but-troubled former Florida receiver will go in this draft.

We’ve seen this story play out in a lot of ways. Callaway ran a faster 40 than Ridley or Kirk. His talent will give him an opportunity. His off-the-field actions will determine whether he can take advantage of it.

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