Unlike the East, which has been difficult to predict lately, the West is much easier for us to figure out at Media Days.

Essentially, just picking Alabama to come out of the division every year is the safe bet. More often than not, one of the other six teams must play everything almost perfectly to come out ahead of the Crimson Tide.

While the East is criticized for being top-heavy, the fact of the matter is that only three teams — ‘Bama, Auburn and LSU — have won the West since coach Nick Saban arrived in 2007. Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Texas A&M have authored some upsets against the traditional powers, but never consistently.

RELATED: If every team in SEC East could bring back just 1 player …

All seven programs lost some key contributors off last season’s depth chart. What if each school had a chance to bring back just one of them for an extra campaign of eligibility? Could that actually affect the race for Atlanta?

Here are the standouts I’d like to see at the collegiate level just a little while longer, even if it’s nothing more than a fantasy now.

ALABAMA

TE O.J. Howard

Not utilized enough for the majority of his Tide career, Howard was still a first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Saban was forced to say goodbye to a handful of dominant defenders, including first-rounders Jonathan Allen at end, Reuben Foster at linebacker and Marlon Humphrey at cornerback. However, history suggests that all of them are replaceable since Big Al has been so unstoppable on the recruiting trail.

Howard was a unicorn, though. Tight ends that can change the game as both blockers and receivers are a rare find.

ARKANSAS

LB Brooks Ellis

Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

The Razorbacks finished just eighth in the SEC last season in total defense and only 11th the year before that.

Needless to say, stopping the opposition consistently has been a problem for coach Bret Bielema lately. But he could always count on Ellis, who led the Hogs in tackles as a junior and senior. Even if he was never much of a pass rusher, which has also been an issue in Fayetteville, he was useful in coverage, as well.

Undrafted in April, Ellis signed with the defending Super Bowl-champion New England Patriots as a free agent.

AUBURN

DE Carl Lawson

Not given near the attention he deserved in the conference, Lawson fell to the Cincinnati Bengals in Round 4.

From a productivity standpoint, Lawson wasn’t Derek Barnett, Myles Garrett or the aforementioned Allen. Still, he was the most feared pass rusher for a Tigers defensive unit that played much better for first-year coordinator Kevin Steele than it did the season before for the one-and-done Will Muschamp.

Lawson had just as many sacks in 2016 (9.0) as Charles Harris and Tim Williams. He may have been undersized, but he was underrated, too.

LSU

LB Kendell Beckwith

Going in Round 3 to the Bucs, Beckwith was part of the same draft class that saw the above-mentioned Howard end up in Tampa.

While the Bayou Bengals had three players come off the board in Round 1 this past spring, all of them were from positions of strength. Running back Leonard Fournette will be replaced by the equally electric Derrius Guice. Jamal Adams and Tre’Davious White were atop a defensive-back depth chart loaded with blue-chip recruits.

Beckwith, conversely, was a pure tackler. It’s hard to find a running play on tape from a year ago with him not at the bottom of the pile.

OLE MISS

TE Evan Engram

Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

While Howard was more of a tight end in the traditional sense of the position, Engram was a 21st century matchup nightmare.

If there’s one thing the Rebels have plenty of for new quarterback Shea Patterson, it’s dangerous wide receivers on the perimeter. But for every one-on-one matchup they win outside the numbers spectacularly, they drop a catchable ball or run a sloppy route. Engram was by far the most reliable weapon in Oxford for 2016.

A monster at the Scouting Combine and his Pro Day, Engram made it into Round 1 of the draft and is now with the New York Giants.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

WR Fred Ross

Speaking of Magnolia State signal callers, Nick Fitzgerald isn’t going to be all he can be unless he gets more help.

In the East, no receiving corps seemed to drop more passes than the one at Georgia. But in the West, that dubious distinction belonged to MSU. Ross was guilty himself, which is partially why he didn’t hear his name called in April, but he was the best of a mediocre bunch and still finished tied for second in the league with 72 grabs.

After joining the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent, Ross can no longer be a part of Fitzgerald’s development.

TEXAS A&M

QB Trevor Knight

At the end of the day, Knight didn’t have an NFL-worthy skill set at QB. A lot of franchises asked him to switch positions.

But there’s no denying the impact he had for the Aggies, who looked like one of the better teams in America before Knight hurt his shoulder and couldn’t get himself back to full health. Not very accurate on short- and intermediate-range throws, he did excel on the deep ball and surprised a lot of defenses with the way he could run.

A&M coach Kevin Sumlin hasn’t decided on Jake Hubenak, Nick Starkel or Kellen Mind as his new field general. He’d likely opt for Knight again if he could.