The SEC West is considered the far more loaded division in the conference, and a peek at any 2018 mock draft confirms that there is a gap in talent.

RELATED: Top 10 draft eligible players from the SEC West who could leave early for the NFL

East Division players are simply lagging behind their West counterparts in every draft projection.

And every season, numerous juniors declare themselves eligible for the NFL Draft. Some find riches and a starting spot waiting for them in the pros; others get a dose of harsh reality and wind up competing for a deep roster spot in an NFL camp — or, in some cases, more than one camp.

So, which SEC East juniors might make the leap? More to the point, which are likely to succeed and which might think about perhaps staying in college one more year?

For our purposes in projecting the 10 juniors most likely to get drafted, should they declare for the pros, we’re mostly using Luke Easterling’s four-round mock draft for USA Today along with WalterFootball.com, which also produces a four-round mock.

10. C.J. Conrad, TE, Kentucky

Projected round: 5th-7th

Skinny: A foot injury has curtailed his junior season, in which he has played in only seven games. Conrad has 50 career receptions and nine touchdowns in three seasons. At 6-5, 245 pounds, he has the size NFL teams look for in modern tight ends.

9. Terry Beckner Jr., DT, Missouri

Projected round: 5th-7th

Skinny: Although Beckner has already declared he’s returning to Mizzou, he played in all 12 games this season, a first in his career. His production has warranted that playing time — he has seven sacks this season, tied for sixth in the conference. The 6-4, 290-pound junior also has two interceptions, including one he returned 49 yards.

8. Trenton Thompson, DT, Georgia

Projected round: 5th-7th

Skinny: Thompson has 33 tackles, three for a loss, and a quarterback hurry this season while starting in three of the 11 games in which he played. However, he’s hinted at returning for the 2018 season.

At 6-4, 295, he has good size, though NFL teams looking at him for an interior spot might want him to bulk up some depending on their schemes.

7. Drew Lock, QB, Missouri

Projected round: 3rd-6th

Skinny: Lock leads the FBS with 43 touchdown passes this season, but some see him as a player who might be better off waiting until the 2019 NFL draft.

If he declares this offseason, he’ll offer one of the best arms in the draft along with ideal size at 6-4, 225.

6. Antonio Callaway, WR, Florida

Projected round: 2nd to … who knows?

Skinny: Every spring, NFL teams has to ask themselves regarding certain players: Is this guy worth the potential headaches? Meet one of this year’s top members of that category.

Callaway was suspended this entire season after his involvement, along with several teammates, in a credit card fraud scheme — and, after declaring last week for the NFL Draft, he won’t leave Gainesville on a good note.

He’s a top talent, though. His volatility on mock draft lists reflects the conundrum that teams will face when deciding whether to draft the 5-11, 197-pound junior.

Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

5. Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina

Projected round: 2nd-5th

Skinny: At 6-5, 250, he’s another prospect with prototype NFL size for a tight end.

And Hurst has been very productive this season, catching 41 passes for 518 yards, both second on the team. Both of those numbers also led the SEC among tight ends. Last season he had 48 catches for 616 yards, trailing only Evan Engram of Ole Miss in both categories among SEC tight ends. And Engram is now a successful rookie tight end with the New York Giants.

Hurst  tested the waters by attending an early NFL evaluation process this past spring and has since decided to declare for the draft.

4. Josh Allen, LB, Kentucky

Projected round: 2nd-4th

Skinny: The junior said he has not decided whether to declare for the draft, but he is gaining momentum according to some reports and, in an interesting twist, might be one of two players named Josh Allen in the draft if the Wyoming quarterback by the same name also declares.

The Josh Allen at Kentucky has seven sacks this season, leading the Wildcats. Allen, 6-5, 230, also has 59 tackles and an interception in 2017, leading the UK defense into the Music City Bowl against Northwestern.

3. Martez Ivey, OL, Florida

Projected round: 3rd-4th

Skinny: Ivey was a member of the All-SEC second team this season and was not to blame for yet another dreadful season of offense in Gainesville.

A story on 247Sports.com brings up an interesting point, that Ivey would have to learn another new system if he sticks around next year.

At least one report indicates that there is some question as to which position he should play going forward — at 6-5, 305, he might be a guard talent in an offensive tackle’s body.

2. Taven Bryan, DT, Florida

Projected round: 1st-2nd

Skinny: It came as little surprise that Bryan declared for the draft after a stellar junior season.

At 6-4, 291, Bryan muscled his way into first-round contention thanks to four sacks among his six tackles for loss in 2017. He was one of the few Gators to meet — or perhaps even exceed — expectations in a lousy season in Gainesville.

Most mock drafts have Bryan projected as a late first-round or early second-round pick. In those situations it always benefits the player to come out, because he will get a pretty good contract right away.

1. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

Projected round: 1st

Skinny: He’s the surest thing in the East by far, and one of the top prospects coming out of the SEC overall.

Smith is a consensus first-round prospect and USA Today projects him to go 12th, the first linebacker taken. He was the SEC defensive player of the year after racking up 113 tackles and six sacks this season and was a unanimous first-team All-American.

Pro Football Focus statistics indicated that he was literally perfect in 2017, not missing a tackle all season in run defense. Best of all, he was a key cog on a Bulldogs defense that made the College Football Playoff, where Georgia will take on the nation’s No. 1 offense, Oklahoma, in a mouth-watering Rose Bowl matchup.