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Watching Florida’s Janoris Jenkins play cornerback is like watching a lion stalk its prey.

Jenkins may be a defensive player, but there’s nothing defensive about the way he goes after the football.

“I feel like every time the ball is in the air, it should be ours,” Jenkins said. “We attack the ball as if we’re the receivers. We’re the ones on offense back there.”

Jenkins, a 5-11, 186-pound junior, is the centerpiece of a Florida secondary that has defined this season what ball-hawking is all about. The Gators lead the country with 12 interceptions through the first four games. They’ve taken three of those back for touchdowns.

Cornerback Jeremy Brown returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown last week against Kentucky. Jenkins had a 67-yard return for a touchdown in the opener against Miami (Ohio).

Creating turnovers will be a must for the Gators this Saturday when they take on No. 1-ranked Alabama.

And that’s where Jenkins and his defensive backfield mates come in.

“We’ll play with the same mentality that we always play with, that we’re going to go get the football,” said Jenkins, whose seven passes defended ties him for the SEC lead along with Brown. “Nobody has to do anything extra. We just have to play our game, play sound and play together.”

Jenkins will draw the assignment of matching up with Alabama’s Julio Jones, and they’re not strangers.

As high school seniors, they locked up in some memorable battles during the week of the Under Armour All-America game in Orlando.

But the last couple of seasons, Joe Haden has been matched up with Jones. With Haden now in the NFL, those duties will shift to Jenkins.

“I’ve got to play my technique, but I know I have the ability to stay with him,” said Jenkins, who’s gotten better in bump-and-run coverage.

Jenkins has also become a better tackler, and his total package as a cornerback makes him one of the top-rated prospects in next year’s draft. ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay has Jenkins rated as the No. 3 cornerback prospect in this class, assuming Jenkins decides to come out.

His explosive speed and ball skills make him a natural at the next level, but his head coach has also noticed more of a sense of urgency this season.

Jenkins became only the second true freshman cornerback in Florida history to start on opening day two years ago. He went on to have a sensational freshman season.

At that point, there might have been a little entitlement as he approached his sophomore season, and it showed.

“He came in here as one of the best workers we’ve ever had as a true freshman,” Florida coach Urban Meyer said. “He and Jeremy Brown came in and stole the show. Jeremy went through a back injury and is now coming out of it. Janoris went through a very good freshman year and kind of an average second year, pretty good, but nothing like it is now.

“Coach (Teryl) Austin has done a very good job with him. Some of these guys around here get a certain feeling of status when they play very well, and I don’t see that with Janoris. I saw that a little bit last year.”

Jenkins remembers vividly that sick feeling he had in his stomach last season following the SEC championship game loss to Alabama. It’s one of only two losses he’s experienced as a Gator.

Nobody on defense played particularly well in that game for Florida, which missed more than 20 tackles and lost its edge.

“We all felt bad,” Jenkins said. “We preach around here about finishing strong, and that’s something we didn’t do in that game. We know they’re just as good as they were last year and have been playing good ball.

“We’re a little under the radar right now, but all that matters to us is going out there and playing Florida football on Saturday. If we do that for all four quarters, we’ll be OK.”

We’re now down to the final 15 in our countdown of the SEC’s 25 best players, and this next guy is the first Gator to crack the list.

No. 15: Janoris Jenkins, CB, Jr., Florida

2009 numbers: Recorded 38 tackles, including three for loss. Intercepted two passes and also forced a fumble.

Most recent ranking: Not ranked in preseason or postseason countdown in 2009.

Making the case for Jenkins: The 5-11, 186-pound Jenkins has been a fixture in the Florida secondary since the start of his true freshman season. He became just the second true freshman in school history to start at cornerback on opening day. The fact that Jenkins wears No. 1 should tell you plenty about what kind of football player he is. The No. 1 jersey at Florida is reserved for the best of the best. The two guys who had No. 1 before Jenkins were Percy Harvin and Reggie Nelson. An outstanding all-around athlete, Jenkins returns as one of the most established cornerbacks in the SEC. He’s a sure tackler who prides himself on being able to lock down on anybody. We should find out even more about Jenkins as a player and leader in 2010 now that Joe Haden won’t be on the other side at cornerback, but Jenkins is ready to take on that leadership role. He grew up a lot last season following his arrest in the offseason and then struggled through a subpar game against Arkansas when Greg Childs beat him for a couple of long gainers. But Jenkins recovered nicely and is poised to make his mark as one of the top cornerbacks in the country this coming season.

The rundown

No. 16: Mark Barron, S, Jr., Alabama

No.17: Darvin Adams, WR, Jr., Auburn

No. 18: Alshon Jeffery, WR, So., South Carolina

No. 19: D.J. Williams, TE, Sr., Arkansas

No. 20: Cliff Matthews, DE, Sr., South Carolina

No. 21: Clint Boling, OT, Sr., Georgia

No. 22: Greg Childs, WR, Jr., Arkansas

No. 23: Washaun Ealey, RB, So., Georgia

No. 24: Chris Marve, LB, Jr., Vanderbilt

No. 25: Luke Stocker, TE, Sr., Tennessee

The SEC's seven first-round NFL draft picks on Thursday night was second to the Big 12's nine.

The SEC has now had five picks in the top 20 of the first round four years in a row.

The first-round proceedings Thursday night reminded us all one more time that how decorated you are at the college level and how many awards you win aren't real important in the eyes of pro scouts.

Take Alabama cornerback Kareem Jackson, for instance. He played in the shadow of Javier Arenas all season a year ago. Arenas was a consensus All-American and one of the "stars" of the defense. It was all Jackson could do to earn honorable mention All-SEC status.

Still, he was solid all season as a shutdown cornerback, ran great times in the 40-yard dash and wound up being the fourth defender drafted from the league, going 20th overall to the Houston Texans.

Jackson is another one of those guys who wasn't highly recruited, either. He went to Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy out of school even though he was qualified academically and was committed initially to Vanderbilt until Nick Saban and Alabama jumped on him.

Say this, too, for Jackson. He's supremely confident in his abilities. He turned pro this past season despite Saban telling him he needed another season of college ball.

As for guys who slipped, who would have thought at the end of the regular season last year that Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap wouldn't go in the first round?

At that point, he was being projected as a top 15 pick by all the analysts. But that next week, he was arrested on DUI charges, was suspended for the SEC championship game, and apparently some of his interviews with teams following the season didn't go well.

In Friday night's second and third rounds, one of the SEC guys to watch will be LSU defensive tackle Al Woods. After a so-so college career, Woods really shot up draft boards this offseason with solid workouts.

And who will be the first SEC player to get picked in the second round?

I'll go with Alabama's Terrence Cody, but my dark horse is Ole Miss' Dexter McCluster.

Here's the complete list of SEC first-rounders on Thursday:

• No. 5 -- S Eric Berry, Tennessee, Kansas City Chiefs
• No. 7 -- CB Joe Haden, Florida, Cleveland Browns
• No. 8 -- LB Rolando McClain, Alabama, Oakland Raiders
• No. 18 -- C/G Maurkice Pouncey, Florida, Pittsburgh Steelers
• No. 20 - CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama, Houston Texans
• No. 25 -- QB Tim Tebow, Florida, Denver Broncos
• No. 26 -- DT Dan Williams, Tennessee, Arizona Cardinals

ESPN draft expert Todd McShay has six SEC players going in the first round in his latest mock draft.

Former Tennessee teammates Eric Berry and Dan Williams will both go in the top 10 picks, according to McShay, who has Berry going No. 7 overall to the Cleveland Browns and Williams No. 9 overall to the Buffalo Bills.

If that happens, Berry and Williams would become the first SEC defensive teammates to go in the top 10 picks of the same draft since Alabama defensive ends John Copeland and Eric Curry went Nos. 5 and 6 in the 1993 draft.

Speaking of first-rounders, anybody want to venture a guess on which SEC team produced the most during the past decade?

Georgia and Tennessee each had 10 from 2000-09. During that stretch, the Vols failed to win an SEC championship, while Georgia won two.

Every SEC team last decade produced at least one first-rounder with the exception of Mississippi State, which hasn't had a player drafted in the first round since defensive back Walt Harris went No. 13 overall and receiver Eric Moulds No. 24 overall in the 1996 draft.

LSU produced nine first-rounders last decade, and seven of those came in the past four years. Alabama produced just three first-rounders during the decade, and offensive tackle Andre Smith last year broke an eight-year drought for the Crimson Tide of not having a first-round selection.

Here's a breakdown of SEC first-rounders over the past decade:

Georgia -- 10

Tennessee -- 10

Florida -- 9

LSU -- 9

Arkansas -- 6

Auburn -- 6

Ole Miss -- 6

South Carolina -- 4

Alabama -- 3

Vanderbilt -- 2

Kentucky -- 1

ESPN's NFL draft gurus, Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, have unveiled their latest mock drafts , and there's a chance that former Tennessee teammates Eric Berry and Dan Williams could be the top two SEC players to be selected in this year's draft.

Kiper has Berry going No. 5 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs and Williams No. 12 overall to the Miami Dolphins. McShay has Berry going No. 6 overall to the Seattle Seahawks and Williams No. 7 overall to the Cleveland Browns.

The Vols haven't had two players go in the top 10 picks of the draft since offensive tackles Charles McRae and Antone Davis went Nos. 7 and 8 in 1991.

The last time two SEC defenders from the same team went in the top 10 picks of the draft was 1993 when Alabama defensive ends John Copeland and Eric Curry went Nos. 5 and 6.

So in retrospect, Tennessee might not have been hurting for talent last season nearly as much as former coach Lane Kiffin repeatedly claimed the Vols were.

The other SEC player projected to go high in this year's draft is Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain. Kiper has him going No. 15 to the New York Giants, and McShay has him going No. 11 to the Denver Broncos.

Rounding out the SEC players, Kiper has Florida cornerback Joe Haden going No. 13 to the San Francisco 49ers, Florida center/guard Maurkice Pouncey No. 18 to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Alabama cornerback Kareem Jackson No. 24 to the Philadelphia Eagles.

McShay also has Pouncey going No. 18 to the Eagles, Haden No. 20 to the Houston Texans, Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody No. 28 to the San Diego Chargers and Jackson No. 30 to the Minnesota Vikings.

Alabama hasn't had three first-round selections since 1993 when Copeland, Curry and safety George Teague all went in the top 29 picks.

In fact, until offensive tackle Andre Smith went No. 6 overall in last year's draft, the Crimson Tide had gone eight straight years without producing a first-round pick.

Needless to say, that drought is over.

As the NFL combine concluded Tuesday with the defensive backs working out, the general feeling was Tennessee safety Eric Berry solidified himself as a top 10 pick, possibly a top 5 pick, and Florida cornerback Joe Haden might have gone the other way.

Berry ran an official 4.47 in the 40-yard dash, which was second among safeties to USC’s Taylor Mays’ 4.43. And at 211 pounds, Berry had a 10-10 broad jump, which was second overall at the combine, and recorded a 43-inch vertical leap, which was third overall. He also did 19 reps on the bench-press.

Haden, meanwhile, ran a disappointing 4.58 in the 40 (official time), and there’s now concern about how vulnerable he might be to getting beat over the top in the NFL. Everybody is looking for fast 40 times and all the other other measurables. But I'd say the game tape counts for something, and Haden was rarely torched in the SEC the last two seasons.

Haden’s teammate at Florida, safety Major Wright, helped himself by running an official 4.48 in the 40-yard dash. It was the third fastest time among the safeties.

Alabama cornerback Kareem Jackson may also be moving up the charts. He turned in an official 4.48 in the 40-yard dash. The same goes for Vanderbilt cornerback Myron Lewis, whose official 40 time was 4.48.

Some of the other 40 times that I’ve been able to find for former SEC defensive backs were:

LSU cornerback Chris Hawkins -- 4.49

South Carolina safety Darian Stewart -- 4.51

Alabama cornerback Javier Arenas -- 4.53

Kentucky cornerback Trevard Lindley -- 4.56

LSU safety Chad Jones -- 4.56

Georgia safety Reshad Jones -- 4.56

Alabama safety Justin Woodall -- 4.62

Ole Miss cornerback Marshay Green -- 4.64

Tennessee safety Dennis Rogan -- 4.70

Ole Miss safety Kendrick Lewis -- 4.75

The NFL combine wraps up on Tuesday, and a flood of former SEC players have left their mark -- both good and bad.

The defensive backs were the last to run the 40-yard dash, and a lot of eyes were on Tennessee safety Eric Berry.

Unofficially, his two 40-yard dash times were 4.46 and 4.40. Earlier, the 5-11, 211-pound Berry did 19 reps on the bench-press, so he certainly didn’t do anything to hurt himself and figures to be a top 10 pick.

Alabama cornerback Javier Arenas tweaked his hamstring running the 40 and didn’t go a second time. He ran a 4.52 unofficially on the first one.

Florida cornerback Joe Haden turned in a disappointing 4.57 in the 40. Again, these are unofficial times, and we’ll try to get you the official times once they’re posted later Tuesday.

Vanderbilt cornerback Myron Lewis helped himself with a 4.45 in the 40 and also weighed in at more than 200 pounds. The NFL loves big corners who can cover.

LSU safety Chad Jones ran a 4.54, but only did nine reps on the bench-press.

Georgia safety Reshad Jones was second among the safeties with 24 reps.

Mississippi State’s Jamar Chaney posted the fastest 40-yard dash time among linebackers, a 4.54. He also did 26 reps on the bench-press and recorded a 39-inch vertical jump. Chaney solidified himself as a solid mid-round pick, possibly as high as the third or fourth round.

Todd McShay of ESPN’s Scouts Inc. also felt like South Carolina outside linebacker Eric Norwood helped himself by running a 4.71 40-yard dash. At 245 pounds, Norwood also showed good lateral movement, quick feet and demonstrated all the qualities that make him an explosive pass-rusher.

A pair of former SEC linebackers that didn’t impress McShay were Kentucky’s Micah Johnson and Florida’s Brandon Spikes. Johnson (258 pounds) ran a 4.99 and didn’t change directions very well. Spikes didn’t run the 40, but looked stiff in drills.

Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap turned in a fast 40 time (4.71), but according to scouts McShay talked with, Dunlap didn’t come across well in interviews and was characterized as lazy.

Tennessee defensive tackle Dan Williams continues to look like a first-round pick. Weighing 326 pounds, he ran a 5.17 40-yard dash and did 26 reps on the bench. He also moved fluidly during drills.

McShay thinks Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody will probably be a second-rounder. Cody shed some pounds and was down to 354, but ran a 5.68 40, the slowest among the defensive linemen.

I appreciate your input on the top 30 players in the SEC from this past season, and here are two more entries that I received from you.

The first one is from William in Jackson, Miss., and the second one is from Steve in Atlanta. William has Mark Ingram No. 1, while Steve has Rolando McClain No. 1. Some of the new names on their lists include LSU safety Chad Jones and Vanderbilt running back/return specialist Warren Norman. Both are strong lists.

William's top 30:

No. 1: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

No. 2: Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama

No. 3: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

No. 4: Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas

No. 5: Anthony Dixon, RB, Mississippi State

No. 6: Javier Arenas, CB, Alabama

No. 7: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

No. 8: Dexter McCluster, RB/WR, Ole Miss

No. 9: Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida

No. 10: Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina

No. 11: Joe Haden, CB, Florida

No. 12: Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida

No. 13: Antonio Coleman, DE, Auburn

No. 14: Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida

No. 15: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

No. 16: Pernell McPhee, DE, Mississippi State

No. 17: Randall Cobb, QB/WR, Kentucky

No. 18: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia

No. 19: Mike Johnson, OG, Alabama

No. 20: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

No. 21: Montario Hardesty, RB, Tennessee

No. 22: Rennie Curran, LB, Georgia

No. 23: Shay Hodge, WR, Ole Miss

No. 24: Ben Tate, RB, Auburn

No. 25: Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida

No. 26: Malcolm Sheppard, DT, Arkansas

No. 27: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

No. 28: Chad Jones, S, LSU

No. 29: Terrence Cody, NG, Alabama

No. 30: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

Steve's top 30:

No. 1: Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama

No. 2: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

No. 3: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

No. 4: Dexter McCluster, RB/WR, Ole Miss

No. 5: Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas

No. 6: Anthony Dixon, RB, Mississippi State

No. 7: Javier Arenas, CB, Alabama

No. 8: Joe Haden, CB, Florida

No. 9: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

No. 10: Antonio Coleman, DE, Auburn

No. 11: Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida

No. 12: Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina

No. 13: Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida

No. 14: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

No. 15: Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida

No. 16: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

No. 17: Ben Tate, RB, Auburn

No. 18: Montario Hardesty, RB, Tennessee

No. 19: Mike Johnson, OG, Alabama

No. 20: Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida

No. 21: Rennie Curran, LB, Georgia

No. 22: Randall Cobb, QB/WR, Kentucky

No. 23: Shay Hodge, WR, Ole Miss

No. 24: Terrence Cody, NG, Alabama

No. 25: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia

No. 26: Pernell McPhee, DE, Mississippi State

No. 27: Malcolm Sheppard, DT, Arkansas

No. 28: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

No. 29: Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU

No. 30: Warren Norman, RB, Vanderbilt

Some of your countdowns of the top 30 players in the SEC from this past season are starting to roll in.

Here’s one from Andrew of Auburn, Ala., and he has Tennessee safety Eric Berry No. 1. He also has Florida cornerback Joe Haden and Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes a little higher than I did and included Tennessee linebacker Rico McCoy and Auburn receiver Darvin Adams on his list. Otherwise, his list includes most of the same names as my list.

He only listed 29 players. I'll post a few more lists next week:.

Here's Andrew's list:

No. 1: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

No. 2: Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama

No. 3: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

No. 4: Joe Haden, CB, Florida

No. 5: Dexter McCluster, RB/WR, Ole Miss

No. 6: Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida

No. 7: Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas

No. 8: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

No. 9: Anthony Dixon, RB, Mississippi State

No. 10: Eric Norwood, LB, South Carolina

No. 11: Antonio Coleman, CB, Auburn

No. 12: Javier Arenas, CB/RS, Alabama

No. 13: Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida

No. 14: Montario Hardesty, RB, Tennessee

No. 15: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

No. 16: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

No. 17: Mike Johnson, OG, Alabama

No. 18: Ben Tate, RB, Auburn

No. 19: Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida

No. 20: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia

No. 21: Darvin Adams, WR, Auburn

No. 22: Shay Hodge, WR, Ole Miss

No. 23: Pernell McPhee, DE, Mississippi State

No. 24: Rennie Curran, LB, Georgia

No. 25: Rico McCoy, LB, Tennessee

No. 26: Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida

No. 27: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

No. 28: Malcolm Sheppard, DT, Arkansas

No. 29: Terrence Cody, NG, Alabama

Florida cornerback Joe Haden and Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain have both moved up on Mel Kiper's latest Big Board of the top prospects in the NFL draft.

With the NFL combine kicking off this week, Haden is now No. 5 and McClain No. 8. The top SEC player on Kiper's board is Tennessee safety Eric Berry, who's No. 3.

Kiper has Berry as his top safety, Haden as his top cornerback and McClain as his top linebacker, further validation of the caliber of defensive talent the SEC produces year in and year out.

Tennessee defensive tackle Dan Williams has also moved up to No. 17.

The Vols are the only team in the country with two defenders ranked among Kiper's top 20 prospects, which doesn't exactly back up former Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin's repeated claims last season that the Vols were hurting for talent.

Florida joins Oklahoma as the only two teams nationally with three players on Kiper's Big Board. Center Maurkice Pouncey is No. 18 and defensive end Carlos Dunlap is No. 22.

No matter how you slice it, some familiar faces in the SEC are gone.

In fact, some might say the league has lost its star power, especially when you consider the likes of Tim Tebow, Rolando McClain, Eric Berry, Brandon Spikes, Joe Haden, Javier Arenas, Dexter McCluster, Anthony Dixon, Eric Norwood and Terrence Cody are all now embarking on their professional careers.

Can any league, even one that captured four straight BCS national championships, sustain such deep personnel losses and expect to stay atop the college football mountaintop?

“I don’t think it will be any different,” said Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, entering his third season in the SEC. “You’re going to see those other guys step up and be good players and be leaders. Hopefully, we have a few on our team.”

No doubt, and a good place to start is a marquee quarterback. Arkansas has one of the best passers in the country in junior Ryan Mallett, who threw 30 touchdown passes a year ago and is the ideal building block.

If the Hogs can plug the holes on defense, they might end up being one of the new faces of the league.

The last couple of years, it’s pretty much been an Alabama/Florida stranglehold.

The Crimson Tide haven't lost a regular-season game in two years. They were 14-0 in winning their first national championship in 17 years last season.

The Gators had a 22-game winning streak snapped last season by the Crimson Tide. Prior to last season’s breakthrough by Alabama, Florida had won two of the last three national titles.

And the one in that stretch that wasn’t won by Florida was won by LSU in 2007.

The odds of the SEC making it five straight with so many new faces playing starring roles?

Well, that depends on how you look at it.

The league does have a chance to be more balanced in 2010. A year ago, there was a pretty clear separation between Alabama and Florida and everybody else.

But with the Gators losing five juniors to the NFL in addition to Tebow, Spikes and the other seniors, they’re going to have their work cut out merely getting out of the East alive.

As soon as you say that, you look around the East and realize there’s not a clear-cut challenger. Everybody has their warts, and everybody has major question marks to address this spring.

South Carolina has 19 starters returning, but this is South Carolina we're talking about. The Gamecocks have made a living of stumbling all over themselves any time they face real expectations.

Georgia has 10 starters coming back on defense, but will be guided by a first-year starter at quarterback, probably a redshirt freshman who will be taking his first college snap. The Bulldogs are also overhauling their defense, as Todd Grantham takes over for Willie Martinez as coordinator.

Georgia last played in the SEC championship game in 2005, which was also the last time the Bulldogs won an SEC title.

The door might not be cracked open this much again in the East for a long time when you examine how relentlessly and how well Meyer has recruited at Florida -- regardless of how bizarre the whole resignation/leave of absence flip-flop was.

New stars will emerge for the Gators, and don’t be surprised if junior quarterback John Brantley is one of those stars next season.

There’s a reason nobody has repeated as champion in this league since Tennessee did it in 1997 and 1998. It’s the same reason this league has been so cyclical over the last two decades.

On any Saturday, the eighth best team can beat the best team. And when the tide turns in this league, it turns quickly.

Just ask Tennessee.

Speaking of the Tide, the class of the league remains defending national champion Alabama, which has a chance to be even better on offense in 2010.

The defense loses nine starters, but that’s deceiving. The young talent Nick Saban stockpiled on that side of the ball has simply been waiting its chance.

Marcell Dareus, Nico Johnson, Dre Kirkpatrick, Kerry Murphy, Dont’a Hightower and the rest of their cohorts get a chance to step into leading roles this fall.

Arkansas isn’t the only team in the West capable of taking down Alabama. Auburn and LSU are both talented enough to make a run. Like Arkansas, Auburn has to prove it can take that step defensively to play championship-caliber football. LSU has to rediscover itself after finishing 11^th in the league in total offense a year ago.

Looking for a surprise?

Mississippi State is poised to be one of the league’s most improved teams. The Bulldogs might not be ready to contend for a championship, but it would be a huge disappointment in Starkville next season if they’re not in a bowl game.

They also have one of those fresh, new faces that should become familiar to just about everybody next season.

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is counting the different ways to get the ball in Chad Bumphis’ hands after a promising debut season in the SEC.

So sit back and enjoy. It all cranks back up on Friday when LSU opens spring practice.

If recent history is any indication in this conference, it will all end on Jan. 10 in Glendale, Ariz., site of the 2011 BCS National Championship Game.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper has moved Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody back into the first round as the No. 28 overall pick to the San Diego Chargers in his latest mock draft.

Cody weighed in at 370 pounds at the Senior Bowl and struggled at times with his conditioning, but Kiper thinks he's a classic run-stuffing nose guard and that a 3-4 team will grab him in the first round.

"People can ask why I moved Terrence Cody back up onto my latest Big Board, and consider him a first-round guy, and here's a case that illustrates why," Kiper said. "Regardless of questions on weight or build, when you look for that 3-4 centerpiece, a guy who has the physical traits of a block-occupying clogger who will let your linebackers play with freedom, Cody's that type of guy. Dynamic or not, you know what he can give you, and on draft day, and that's a huge consideration."

Cody is one of seven SEC players in Kiper's latest first round. He has Tennessee safety Eric Berry going No. 3 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Florida cornerback Joe Haden going No. 7 to the Cleveland Browns, Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain going No. 12 to the Miami Dolphins, Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap going No. 17 to the Tennessee Titans, Tennessee defensive tackle Dan Williams going No. 26 to the Arizona Cardinals and Florida center Maurkice Pouncey going No. 30 to Minnesota Vikings.

To this point, 12 of the 22 players in our countdown of the SEC’s 30 best players for the 2009 season have been on the defensive side of the ball, including seven of the last eight.

We’ll keep the defensive theme alive with the No. 8 selection. Of course, he wasn’t too shabby on special teams, either:

No. 8: Javier Arenas, CB/RS, Alabama: I can already hear the question echoing down in Florida: Why is Arenas ranked ahead of Joe Haden? What gave Arenas the nod was the dimension he provided on special teams. Few punt returners anywhere in football are as fearless as he is. On top of it all, he developed into one of the better cornerbacks in the league. He rarely gave up any plays and was a blur coming off the edge on those corner blitzes. Arenas finished with five sacks and 12 tackles for loss, a remarkable number for a cornerback. He also played the star position (nickel back) when the Crimson Tide went to five defensive backs. He wound up with five interceptions and was third on Alabama’s team with 71 total tackles. In short, he did a little bit of everything in helping lead the Crimson Tide to their first national championship in 17 years.

• No. 9: Joe Haden, CB, Florida
• No. 10: Antonio Coleman, DE, Auburn
• No. 11: Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida
• No. 12: Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina
• No. 13: Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
• No. 14: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
• No. 15: Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
• No. 16: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
• No. 17: Ben Tate, RB, Auburn
• No. 18: Montario Hardesty, RB, Tennessee
• No. 19: Mike Johnson, OG, Alabama
• No. 20: Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
• No. 21: Rennie Curran, LB, Georgia
• No. 22: Randall Cobb, QB/WR, Kentucky
• No. 23: Shay Hodge, WR, Ole Miss
• No. 24: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
• No. 25: Pernell McPhee, DE, Mississippi State
• No. 26: Malcolm Sheppard, DT, Arkansas
• No. 27: Mark Barron, S, Alabama
• No. 28: Terrence Cody, NG, Alabama
• No. 29: Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU
• No. 30: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

We’ll stay on defense for the ninth-best player in the SEC this past season.

He’s the fifth Florida player to make our countdown. Chances are he won’t be the last.

No. 9: Joe Haden, CB, Florida: Haden became the first true freshman in Florida history to start at cornerback on opening day in 2007. From the time he stepped onto campus, his talent was unquestioned, even though he took some lumps that freshman season. He quickly developed into an excellent cornerback as a sophomore and was a first-team All-American this past season. Rarely did teams throw to his side, and when they did, Haden usually made them pay. He was one of the top cover cornerbacks in the country, but also finished tied for third on Florida’s team with 68 total tackles. Haden led the Gators with four interceptions and 10 pass breakups and also forced two fumbles. He declared for early entry into the NFL draft and is projected to be the top cornerback taken in April.

• No. 10: Antonio Coleman, DE, Auburn
• No. 11: Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida
• No. 12: Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina
• No. 13: Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
• No. 14: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
• No. 15: Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
• No. 16: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
• No. 17: Ben Tate, RB, Auburn
• No. 18: Montario Hardesty, RB, Tennessee
• No. 19: Mike Johnson, OG, Alabama
• No. 20: Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
• No. 21: Rennie Curran, LB, Georgia
• No. 22: Randall Cobb, QB/WR, Kentucky
• No. 23: Shay Hodge, WR, Ole Miss
• No. 24: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
• No. 25: Pernell McPhee, DE, Mississippi State
• No. 26: Malcolm Sheppard, DT, Arkansas
• No. 27: Mark Barron, S, Alabama
• No. 28: Terrence Cody, NG, Alabama
• No. 29: Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU
• No. 30: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

Alabama cornerback Kareem Jackson is projected as a first-round pick in Todd McShay's latest mock draft.

McShay has Jackson going 19th to the Atlanta Falcons. Jackson gave up his senior season to enter the NFL draft early.

Overall, McShay has seven players from the SEC going in the first round. Other than Jackson, Florida center Maurkice Pouncey is a new addition at N0. 31 to the Indianapolis Colts.

Tennessee safety Eric Berry will be the highest drafted SEC player, according to McShay. Berry is projected to go seventh overall to the Cleveland Browns. Berry's Tennessee teammate, defensive tackle Dan Williams, also moved up in this mock draft to 18th overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rounding out McShay's SEC first-round selections were Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain 12th to the Miami Dolphins, Florida cornerback Joe Haden 13th to the San Francisco 49ers and Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap 17th to the Tennessee Titans.