The SEC lost a couple of key quarterbacks this offseason — Mizzou’s Drew Lock, Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham, Mississippi State’s Nick Fitzgerald, Ole Miss’s Jordan Ta’amu and Vanderbilt’s Kyle Shurmur. Most of them will likely be selected in the 2019 NFL Draft (with Lock potentially going in Round 1 on Thursday).

Also, Alabama backup QB Jalen Hurts left for Oklahoma, ending his outstanding tenure in Tuscaloosa. Still, though, the conference is deep at the quarterback position, with several experienced starters returning to fields across the southeast.

None of them are perfect, but many of them have some elite qualities. So, what would it take to create the perfect SEC quarterback for the 2019 season?

Here’s what skills we’d cobble together to create an unstoppable force:

Leadership: Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

When you’re talking about a quarterback, you have to start with leadership. The quarterback has to lead not just the offense, but the entire squad.

In the SEC, no one does that better than Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. Entering his junior season, Tagovailoa has seen it all and has more postseason experience than any of his peers. He’s played in two College Football Playoffs and has a national championship ring.

Yes, he struggled at times last year while dealing with an injury late in the season (and got blown out by Clemson in the title game), but he gives his all for the team, leading by example as much as with his words.

Accuracy: Jake Fromm, Georgia

Nothing rattles Fromm, who has seen it all in his two years as the Georgia starter. Yes, he’s had some high-profile losses to Alabama, but the entire Bulldog team is at fault for those collapses.

All Fromm does is run the offense at an elite level and make plays to help his team win. After completing 67.3 percent of his passes in 2018 (second only to Tagovailoa), the sky is the limit for the junior. He improved that completion percentage more than five points from 2017 (62.2 percent), and it’s not out of the realm of possibility for him to eclipse 70 percent this fall.

He puts the ball where it needs to be, and the Dawgs will continue to have some talented receivers in Demetris Robertson and Jeremiah Holloman (though they’ll miss Mecole Hardman, Riley Ridley and Terry Godwin).

If new OC James Coley uses D’Andre Swift as a pass-catcher out of the backfield more often, Fromm could have even more high-percentage throws this season.

Arm strength: Kellen Mond, Texas A&M

Sometimes, you can make up for a questionable decision with a cannon arm. Mond often makes the right decision, but when he doesn’t, he’s still able to make big plays simply because of the cannon he has hanging off his right shoulder.

Look at these two throws against Clemson. Neither one of them probably should have been made, but Mond fits it through the Tiger defense and into the hands of his guys:

https://twitter.com/VersaceBoyEnt/status/1038617905812975616

The deep out route is one of the most-dangerous routes for a quarterback to throw because of how long the ball is in the air, but Mond made it look easy during last year’s spring game:

After another offseason of work with QB guru Jimbo Fisher, Mond’s decision-making should be even better this year. With his arm talent, that’s a scary thought for the other SEC West teams.

Head: Joe Burrow, LSU

Joe Burrow came to the Tigers from Ohio State last year and made an immediate impact. He doesn’t have the biggest arm and he’s not the fastest guy on the field, but what makes him so good is that he always seems to make the right play.

Whether its a checkdown throw, airing it out to one of his talented receivers or putting his body on the line with a tough run, Burrow keeps the ball moving for the Tigers. That’s something that couldn’t be said about some of LSU’s previous quarterbacks.

Don’t expect to see too many runs like the 59-yarder he had against Georgia last year, but do expect to see him making the right reads time and time again this fall:

Legs: Kelly Bryant, Mizzou

Speaking of quarterbacks running, how about the former Clemson star? Now at Mizzou, Bryant is only a year removed from rushing for 665 yards and 11 touchdowns while leading his old team to the CFP title game (which they lost to Alabama). He had 130 rushing yards and two scores in 2018 before deciding to transfer and sitting out the rest of the season.

In Mizzou’s potent offense, Bryant could have his best year yet. The Tigers have an experienced offensive line, dynamic receivers and a talented backfield. All of that means Bryant’s versatility will be in play early and often this fall.

It’ll be interesting to see whether he leads the conference in rushing yards by a quarterback or not (with Nick Fitzgerald off to the NFL, it’s anyone’s race to win). Kentucky’s Terry Wilson will also be a threat with his legs, as will Keytaon Thompson (Fitz’s replacement at Mississippi State) and Mond at A&M.

Body: Feleipe Franks, Florida

Standing at 6-6 and weighing in at 240 pounds, Franks has the size (and arm) NFL scouts drool over. Yes, guys like Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray have shown in recent years that you don’t have to be tall to be a successful NFL quarterback, but teams still love tall quarterbacks.

Franks isn’t the most agile guy, but when he gets in the open field, he’s tough to bring down. Give him Kelly Bryant’s running ability (discussed above) and he’d be a nightmare for defensive coordinators.

Put this perfect quarterback in a smaller body, and scouts would be trying to find reasons to drop him down their draft boards. Put him in Franks’ body, though, and he’s the consensus No. 1 overall pick.