The SEC is good at developing football players. And by good, I mean amazing. This is evident every year in the NFL Draft, where the conference representing the Deep South regularly outpaces all other conferences in draft picks. But it’s not just quantity, it’s quality, too.

Last year, the SEC led all conferences in total draft picks for the 12th consecutive year with 53 players selected. Twenty were picked in the first two rounds, which is the second most in the common era, only behind the 21 the SEC saw picked in 2017.

Once again, the SEC is shaping up to lead the pack with draft season upon us, and as usual, there will be a healthy and sizable crop of underclassmen available, and now that the deadline has passed to declare, we know who exactly is available.

Here are the 3 best prospects at each position.

Quarterback

1. Drew Lock, Mizzou – Arguably the top senior QB in the 2019 draft class, Lock has all the size (6-4, 225), athleticism and natural arm talent you can ask for, and displayed improved mechanics and ball placement as a senior. His consistency and decision-making skills are still worrisome, but has enormous developmental upside.

2. Jarrett Stidham, Auburn – Similar to Lock, he checks all the boxes in terms of size/athleticism/arm talent, though he regressed this year playing behind a poor OL and in a scheme that didn’t maximize his skills. Has a lot of potential, but needs proper coaching.

3. Jordan Ta’amu, Ole Miss – His numbers on the season were outstanding, though he struggled mightily against premium competition. He’s an underrated athlete with decent velocity and very good ball placement, especially on deep balls outside the hashes.

Running Back

1. Josh Jacobs, Alabama – Went from 3rd-string at the beginning of the season to potentially being the first RB off the board this spring. He’s explosive through the hole and runs with good power, while also showing impressive blocking and receiving skills. He can be a true 3-down back at the next level.

2. Damien Harris, Alabama – He might not have the natural speed or power that Jacobs possesses, but he has better balance, vision and patience. There’s a reason he has been the Tide’s leading rusher the past three years, and Nick Saban rarely misevaluates tailbacks.

3. Elijah Holyfield, Georgia – After toiling at the bottom of the depth chart in 2016 and 2017, he took advantage of his increased role as a junior, resulting in 1,018 yards on 6.4 yards per carry. Holyfield displays excellent lateral quickness and change of direction skills with the ability to make one-cut and get up-field.

Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Line

1. Jonah Williams, Alabama – He was abused in the title game, but his overall body of work still warrants consideration to be the first OT drafted this spring. Shows good mobility and footwork, takes good angles and does a nice job picking up and adjusting to stunts and blitz. He’s very effective as a zone-blocker.

2. Greg Little, Ole Miss – Still coming along from a technique perspective, but is a gifted athlete with impressive length and foot quickness. Shows good shuffle mirroring while using long arms well to keep pass rushers at bay and has the natural strength in his base to generate a push drive blocking.

3. Jawaan Taylor, Florida – At 6-5, 340 pounds, Taylor is enormous and he uses his natural size and strength well, especially as a run blocker, showing the ability to maul and consistently move bodies up front. He’s also a good athlete with natural foot quickness, and while he’s solid in pass protection, continuing to shed some weight would further improve his lateral mobility.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

1. D.K. Metcalf, Ole Miss – As with all of the Ole Miss receivers, he needs to improve his route running and getting in and out of breaks, but Metcalf is an unbelievably gifted physical specimen at 6-4, 235 pounds. He has enough speed to provide a vertical threat but the strength and physicality to bully DBs underneath.

2. Riley Ridley, Georgia – Shows excellent hands and body control as a receiver and uses his frame to his advantage. He’s underrated as a route runner and does a nice job identifying holes in coverage, though he does struggle at times to gain separation against press coverage. I’ll also be very interested to see how he times out at the Combine and Pro Day.

3. A.J. Brown, Ole Miss – At 6-1, 230, Brown looks like he should be playing tailback for Nick Saban, and he uses his strength very well, particularly after the catch, where he does a nice job picking up chunk yardage. He ran a very simplistic route tree in college, and there’s concern about his ability to take the top off a defense, but he’s tough and physical in traffic and going across the middle.

Defensive Line

1. Quinnen Williams, Alabama – Perhaps no player in the country has skyrocketed up draft boards quicker than Williams, who is now widely considered a top 5 pick, and some even believe him to be the best player overall on the board. The 6-4, 295-pound redshirt sophomore displays an uncanny blend of power and quickness with very violent and active hands. He’s a quick-twitch athlete with a great first step who simply bullies interior offensive linemen.

2. Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State – Similarly to Williams, Simmons is a physical freak with a penchant for disrupting runs from behind the line of scrimmage and collapsing the pocket from the inside. His sack numbers won’t blow you away, but his ability to get up field and constantly pressure the quarterback can’t be overestimated.

3. Montez Sweat, Mississippi State – Few edge rushers have been as productive as Sweat the past two years, as he’s racked up 22.5 sacks over the past 26 games. He has ideal length at 6-6, 245, with an explosive get-off and a relatively polished repertoire of rush moves. Has the versatility to play either 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB at the next level.

Linebacker

1. Devin White, LSU – Widely considered the top LB prospect in this draft class, White has the raw tools to become a regular All-Pro at the next level, with the size and strength to defend the run between the tackles, the speed and range to play sideline-to-sideline and the lateral quickness and change of direction skills to cover. He’s also an effective interior pass rusher.

2. Josh Allen, Kentucky – After a remarkably productive career in Lexington, Allen will contend to be the first edge rusher off the board, presumably as a 3-4 OLB. He’s a twitchy and explosive athlete who does a great job of finishing and getting his outside hand around to force fumbles. He has work to do progressing in coverage and using his hands more effectively, but shows long-term upside.

3. Jachai Polite, Florida – He’s not the biggest (6-2, 245), strongest or longest guy, but he’s very twitchy and explosive, with outstanding burst and acceleration to burn past OT’s. He needs to get stronger at the point of attack to hold up better against the run, but his flexibility, polished repertoire of moves and hands should make him an immediate impact player on passing downs as a 3-4 OLB.

Defensive Back

1. Greedy Williams, LSU – Has prototypical length at 6-2, 185 pounds to combat bigger receivers, and does a nice job of using his long arms to close passing windows. He’s fluid in transition, shows excellent recovery speed and is physical in press coverage with a knack for making big plays.

2. Deionte Thompson, Alabama – Flashes do-it-all safety skills, with the ability to play the run and the pass. He has shown the ability to click and close and get downhill to protect the box and the range and lateral quickness to be a ballhawk in zone and playing single high. Thompson projects as a big-time playmaker.

3. Deandre Baker, Georgia – He’s very sticky and aggressive in press coverage, doing a nice job of toeing the fine line between physical coverage and outright pass interference. Has been beaten deep off double-moves but plays with a high IQ. He’s also a relatively strong tackler and can make plays on the perimeter.