In our quest to handicap the SEC East, we’re ranking the teams across several different categories. Later, we’ll compile those rankings and take a shot at projecting the 2016 SEC East standings.

RELATED: Ranking the SEC East offenses

Today, let’s have a look at the defenses:

7. KENTUCKY

Strength: Secondary

Weakness: Pass rush

Best player: CB Chris Westry

The Wildcats allowed more than 27 points per game last fall, and must cope with the loss of six starters. The departures of tackle Cory Johnson, linebacker Josh Forrest and safety A.J. Stamps are especially tough, since each was a leader in his position group.

Getting more pressure on the quarterback is a must after recording a league-low 17 sacks last fall. Denzil Ware, who had four sacks in the spring game, will counted on to help turn that stat around.

A young secondary, which featured three freshman starters in the season finale, should only improve after last year’s trial by fire.

6. SOUTH CAROLINA

Strength: Linebacker

Weakness: Pass rush

Best player: LB Skai Moore

No SEC team allowed more points per game than the Gamecocks (27.5) last fall. Since then, the program has undergone a complete overhaul. The new coach, defensive-minded Will Muschamp, and his staff have brought in a dozen new players on that side of the ball.

Four true or redshirt freshmen were in the two-deep depth chart coming out of spring football, and even more newcomers — like tackle Stephon Taylor and corner Jamarcus King — will figure into the team’s plans when preseason workouts get underway.

There’s really nowhere to go but up for this unit, and with an influx of talent and a new coaching staff, some level of improvement seems likely.

5. VANDERBILT

Strength: Linebackers

Weakness: Safety depth

Best player: LB Zach Cunningham

The Commodores finished in the top half of the league in scoring and total defense last fall, and unearthed an unlikely star in Cunningham (103 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss) along the way.

Stephen Weatherly left early for the NFL, but Nigel Bowden returns after missing most of last season with injury to partner at linebacker with Cunningham.

Forcing more turnovers would be a growth area for Vanderbilt. With only 17 takeaways last fall, including a league-low six interceptions, the team stumbled to a SEC-low minus-8 in turnover margin.

4. MISSOURI

Strength: Defensive line

Weakness: Weakside linebacker

Best player: DE Charles Harris

With Barry Odom taking the step up to the head coach position, DeMontie Cross is the man charged with leading the defense in 2016. Harris and Walter Brady, who each had seven sacks last fall, book end a strong defensive line.

Eight starters return, but one of the departures is linebacker Kentrell Brothers. All he did was lead the nation in tackles with 152. Michael Scherer, who had a strong 2015 in his own right, is just one of the guys that will need to pick up the slack this fall.

Missouri was second in the league in total defense last season, allowing 302 yards per game. If the offense, one of the nation’s worst in 2015, can improve a bit, it will only help on the other side of the ball.

3. FLORIDA

Strength: Secondary

Weakness: Inexperience in the front seven

Best player: CB Jalen Tabor

Six starters are gone from one of the East’s best defenses in 2015, and those losses are significant. Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III and safety Keanu Neal were first-round draft picks, linebacker Antonio Morrison led the team in tackles and defensive linemen Alex McAlister and Jonathan Bullard tied for the team lead in sacks.

The cupboard isn’t exactly bare, though. Tabor had a breakout season in 2015 as teams shied away from Hargreaves and linebacker Jarrad Davis and safety Marcus Maye are also future NFL Draft picks.

Finding a disruptive force up front to replace Bullard, who regularly commanded double teams, will be the key to how this new-look defense compares to last year’s unit.

2. GEORGIA

Strength: Secondary

Weakness: Linebacker

Best player: S Dominick Sanders

Six players who started the bowl win over Penn State have moved on, and that includes three of the four starters at linebacker.

The secondary that finished first nationally in passing yards allowed per game (165.5) returns intact, paced by Sanders. The rising junior safety tied for the league lead with six interceptions.

Those three linebackers, Leonard Floyd, Jake Ganus and Jordan Jenkins, were three of the team’s four leading tacklers last fall. The pressure is on guys like Lorenzo Carter, Davin Bellamy and Reggie Carter to help fill that void.

1. TENNESSEE

Strength: Pass rush

Weakness: Depth in the secondary

Best player: LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin

Eight starters return from a unit that allowed 20 points per game last fall, and all of the pieces appear to be in place for this to be one of the SEC’s better defenses in 2016.

Defensive end Derek Barnett (69 tackles, 10 sacks) and Reeves-Maybin (105 tackles, six sacks) provide most of the pressure on opposing quarterbacks, while corner Cam Sutton put off a pro career to come back to Knoxville for his senior season.

Todd Kelly Jr. and Evan Berry will have to make the leap from reserves to starters at safety, which tests the depth behind them in the secondary. That, and finding another impact pass rusher from the defensive line, are really the only potential problem areas for the Volunteers.