ESPN College Football

Our look at the SEC's most productive returning players in 2012 continues with wide receivers.

Past producers:

• Quarterback
• Running back

The SEC returns five of the top 10 statistical wideouts from a year ago. Top statistical receiver Jarius Wright has departed, but the No. 2 receiver in the SEC is back, which means he'll have a chance to claim the crown as the league's top wideout in 2012.

Here is the conference's top returning producer at receiver:

Da'Rick Rogers, Tennessee: While Rogers dealt with some issues last season that didn't pertain to football, he was still one of the best receiving threats in the SEC. He lead the league with 67 catches and was second with 1,040 receiving yards. He was also second in the conference with nine receiving touchdowns. Rogers finished the season averaging 15.5 yards per catch and hauled in six 100-yard receiving games, including having three in Tennessee's last four games. When he's totally invested, Rogers is a handful for defenders to stop. He's not only fast and can break away from defenders in a hurry but with his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame, he's a much bigger load for defensive backs to handle.

The SEC returns four more of the top 10 statistical receivers from a year ago:

• Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt: He caught 41 passes for 778 yards and five touchdowns, and averaged 19 yards per catch.
• Tavarres King, Georgia: He caught 47 passes for 705 yards and eight touchdowns, and averaged 15 yards per catch.
• Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia: He caught 45 passes for 665 yards and four touchdowns, and averaged 14.8 yards per catch.
• Emory Blake, Auburn: He caught 36 passes for 613 yards and five touchdowns, and averaged 17 yards per catch.

Rogers will have his hands full trying to take the title of the SEC's best receiver, and it'll start in his own backyard, as big-time deep threat Justin Hunter is back from his ACL injury. Hunter might be the most gifted receiver in the league and he's showed in the past that it's hard to find a better deep threat with the speed and length he possesses. Quarterback Tyler Bray is no doubt salivating at the thought having both of these guys completely healthy for the fall.

Arkansas might have lost three NFL receivers from last year, but don't forget about Cobi Hamilton. Though he's been overshadowed at times, the senior-to-be has 85 career catches for 1,519 yards and 13 scores. He's fast and physical and with Tyler Wilson throwing the ball, he'll have plenty of chances to make a strong run as the league's best.

Odell Beckham at LSU came on strong as a true freshman last season, catching 41 passes for 475 yards and two touchdowns, and now that Rueben Randle is gone, Beckham should be LSU's top receiving target this fall. Florida's Andre Debose has yet to have a complete season at receiver, but he's the Gators best deep threat. If he can finally focus in a little more, he'll get more touches. Kentucky's La'Rod King was 11th in the league in receiving last year, and that was with major issues at the quarterback spot. A more settled QB situation in Lexington should help him move up the receiving chart.

As for some newcomers, Ryan Swope at Texas A&M is the first name you have to consider. He was third in the Big 12 in receiving, catching 89 passes for 1,207 yards and 11 touchdowns. He could have easily left for the NFL after last season. At Missouri, T.J. Moe returns as the Tigers' top receiver, but deep threat Marcus Lucas and incoming freshman Dorial Green-Beckham could also do some damage this fall. Lucas is a guy the coaches can't wait to let loose, but if Green-Beckham is as good as the coaches hope, he could be an instant star.

The second and third rounds of the NFL draft will be held tonight with coverage beginning at 7 ET on ESPN, and several SEC players should hear their names called early.

It's baffling to me how Alabama's Courtney Upshaw didn't hear his name in the first round on Thursday. Somebody's going to get a heck of a deal by landing him in the second round tonight.

I realize there are questions about what position he would play in the NFL, but the tape doesn't lie. The guy specializes in making big plays and has a knack for getting to the quarterback. He did it at Alabama, and he'll do it at the next level.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has five SEC players going in the second round in his latest mock draft, including Georgia offensive tackle Cordy Glenn with the first pick of the second round to the St. Louis Rams at No. 33 overall. Like Upshaw, Glenn was projected by most analysts to be a first-round selection.

The other four SEC players pegged by Kiper to go in the second round tonight are:

• No. 35: Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw to the Baltimore Ravens
• No. 42: Ole Miss offensive tackle Bobby Massie to the Miami Dolphins
• No. 43: LSU receiver Rueben Randle to the Seattle Seahawks
• No. 44: South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery to the Kansas City Chiefs

Some of the other SEC players to keep an eye on tonight in Rounds 2 and 3 include:

• Arkansas receiver Joe Adams
• South Carolina safety Antonio Allen
• Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin
• Alabama nose guard Josh Chapman
• Georgia tight end Orson Charles
• Vanderbilt cornerback Casey Hayward
• Georgia center Ben Jones
• Auburn offensive tackle Brandon Mosley
• LSU safety Brandon Taylor

Making the SEC rounds with some lunch links.

• Missouri and Texas A&M fans are pumped for their SEC debuts.
• Florida schools are likely to be shut out of the NFL draft's first round.
• Coach's advice helped South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram become a potential first-round draft pick.
• Alabama's quintet survives scrutiny and is now in position for a historic NFL draft night.
• Ole Miss offensive tackle Bobby Massie's agent says Massie is the "best right tackle" in the draft.
• LSU wide receiver Rueben Randle has emerged from the shadows at LSU.
• Brandon Mosley's move to the offensive line should pay off, as he's expected to be Auburn's first player drafted.
• Draft day is finally here for Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.
• Kentucky safety Winston Guy talks about NFL draft dreams.
• Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin is hands-on when it comes to athletics.
• Missouri and its new SEC foes will get familiar this offseason.
• Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution brings up some questions, while answering others, coming out of Georgia's spring.
• The low amount of players expected to be drafted shows the Gators' talent dip.
• Arkansas picks up a 2013 commitment from a running back.

Time for links.

• A quick reaction to John L. Smith being hired at Arkansas.
• Smith could be a "perfect fit" for Arkansas' imperfect problem.
• SEC expansion could mean more SEC teams won't go bowling this season.
• The thing that made Nick Saban the proudest last year was how is Alabama team responded to the regular-season loss to LSU.
• Bo Jackson and some of his famous friends are on the road for Bo Bikes Bama.
• Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun lists five reasons why Florida's offense will be better this fall.
• Marcus Caffey's quick feet are an asset on Kentucky's defense.
• Texas A&M's quarterbacks are understanding more as the final week of spring practice gets underway.
• Brandon Boykin will let his game film at Georgia speak for itself as NFL teams plan to draft.
• Former LSU wide receiver Rueben Randle will surely catch on in the NFL draft.
• Reserve cornerback Robert Steeples has decided to transfer from Missouri.
• Tennessee coach Derek Dooley sees upswing with his team after spring.

A record 26 players are expected to be in attendance at the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Twelve are from the SEC, including five from Alabama.

Todd McShay's most recent mock draft had 11 SEC players going in the first round (not counting Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill). That number would tie a conference record set in 2007. Last year, the SEC had 10 players drafted in the first round.

Here are the 12 SEC players who have invites to this year's draft:

• Mark Barron, Alabama
• Michael Brockers, LSU
• Morris Claiborne, LSU
• Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State
• Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina
• Cordy Glenn, Georgia
• Dont'a Hightower, Alabama
• Melvin Ingram, South Carolina
• Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
• Rueben Randle, LSU
• Trent Richardson, Alabama
• Courtney Upshaw, Alabama

This year's NFL draft is just around the corner and ESPN's draft gurus are hard at work, getting tons of information about past college stars and their NFL futures.

Mel Kiper's two-round mock draft is out and it shouldn't come as a surprise that the SEC is well represented. Kiper has 12 SEC players going in the first around and 15 total getting drafted in the first two rounds.

Four SEC members -- running back Trent Richardson, cornerback Morris Claiborne, defensive end Melvin Ingram and quarterback Ryan Tannehill (sorry Big 12, but the SEC claims him now) -- are all slotted to go in the top 10.

Alabama leads the SEC with five players in Kiper's mock draft (all in the first round), while LSU is second with four.

Here's a list of all 15 SEC members and some analysis from Kiper:

4. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama (Cleveland Browns)

"At his pro day, Richardson confirmed that his knee is just fine, and while we know a running back is always a risk this high, here is a player gifted enough, and with such a remarkable physical profile and skill-set that you're comfortable making him an exception to the trend."

5. Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

"What's not to like? Claiborne is hands down the best cover corner available in the draft, and the Bucs still need plenty of help with age and uncertainty dotting their secondary."

7. Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina (Jacksonville Jaguars)

"As versatile a defender as there is in the draft, Ingram provides immediate pass rush help to a Jacksonville defense that sorely needs it, and he offers great flexibility to any coaching staff that wants to mix up their looks, which is pretty much all of them."

8. Ryan Tannehill QB, Texas A&M (Miami Dolphins)

"We know Miami lacks a long-range plan at quarterback, and while Tannehill isn't a guy I'd endorse as an immediate starter, his ceiling is so high you can take him here with a plan in place because his rate of growth."

14. Mark Barron, S, Alabama (Dallas Cowboys)

"I don't think another corner is out of the question at this spot, but Barron is the best safety in the draft, and the Cowboys can't go wrong if he's available."

15. Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State (Philadelphia Eagles)

"Disruptive and explosive from the interior, Cox is another player you can take without worries about a scheme fit. He has a chance to become a Pro Bowl player regardless of where you line him up inside."

16. Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama (New York Jets)

"Rex Ryan should see Upshaw as a great fit for what he's trying to do on defense. Upshaw has size to hold up against the run even as a pass-rusher in a 3-4, making him an ideal fit here."

20. Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama (Tennessee Titans)

"Really tall for the position, people see his size and assume he'd become a safety, but he does everything a shorter corner can do, and will utilize his length to become a guy who can be left on an island against big targets, even in the red zone."

21. Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina (Cincinnati Bengals)

"A starter since the day he stepped on campus at South Carolina, Gilmore is a smart, mature player who has good instincts, can be effective in press and will pick up concepts quickly."

22. Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia (Cleveland Browns)

"Glenn is versatile and can be moved around, but he has the chance to dominate on the inside."

24. Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama (Pittsburgh Steelers)

"He's recovered, and could become a star for the Steelers, with the size to hold up anywhere, and the athleticism to take on whatever role the Steelers need."

25. Michael Brockers, DT, LSU (Denver Broncos)

"So many guys made so many plays, you have to go back and look at where it started. In many instances, it was with the disruptive Brockers, who can create havoc from the inside, blowing up the run and penetrating against the pass."

47. Bobby Massie, OT, Ole Miss (New York Jets)
50. Rueben Randle, WR, LSU (Chicago Bears)
53. Brandon Taylor, S, LSU (Cincinnati Bengals)

With LSU beefing up its passing game now that Zach Mettenberger is pulling the trigger, the Tigers are going to need a go-to receiver to emerge:

OUT: WR Rueben Randle. How important was Randle last season? He had more receiving yards than any other player in SEC games and was the only player in the league to surpass 600 receiving yards (629) in SEC contests. Five of his eight touchdown catches came in league games, and he averaged 19.1 yards per catch against SEC defenses. In short, when the Tigers needed a big play in the passing game, Randle was there to deliver. He led the Tigers with 53 catches in all games and just missed 1,000 receiving yards. He joined cornerback Morris Claiborne and defensive tackle Michael Brockers in giving up his senior season and declaring for the NFL draft.

IN: Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr. and Russell Shepard. The good news for the Tigers is that they have some explosive players at the receiver position. They just don't have that one guy who's proven that he can be the featured target despite defenses trying to take him away. Beckham had an excellent freshman season and was second on LSU's team with 41 catches. He'll be even better his second time around. The guy to watch is Landry, who's oozing with talent. He's also a football player. If you don't think so, go back and watch how he blew up a few people on special teams last season. Don't forget about Shepard, either. This is his last chance to fulfill his potential. He caught four touchdown passes last season, but was suspended the first three games, and at one point, was planning on declaring for the NFL draft. He changed his mind and is back for his senior season. The Tigers need him to be a more consistent playmaker. And even though he's struggled to make the transition to receiver, Shepard is still plenty dangerous in the open field.

Gary Laney writes: LSU held its pro day in Baton Rouge on Thursday and several former stars performed well, including wide receiver Rueben Randle.

David Helman writes: Notebook from LSU’s pro day, including an impressive performance from Kendrick Adams. The defensive end participated in every drill, ran a 4.66 40-yard dash and had 21 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

Helman and Laney write: Live blog from LSU's pro day, including 40-yard dash times and bench press results.

Helman writes : Spring practice report (Day 11). Things were a little more relaxed on Thursday during spring practice as the players and coaches prepare for next week’s spring game.

David Helman writes : The home stretch for the NFL draft begins in earnest Thursday for LSU alums, as the Tigers prepare for their annual pro day.

The postseason top 25 countdown is done and it's time for us to discuss our reasons for how we sorted our list and why we left some players off.

Anytime you do this sort of thing you always second-guess yourself. There are always players you wish you had put higher, slid down lower, left off or put on the list. The only thing that's for sure is that you'll never be perfect and you'll never please everyone, but that's the way it goes.

Alabama running back Trent Richardson was the obvious choice to be first on our list. He was named the nation's top running back and was a unanimous first team All-American and All-SEC member. He accounted for more than 36 percent of Alabama's offense last year and became just the third player in SEC history to rush for 20 or more touchdowns.

Richardson is a track star built like a tank.

While Richardson was spot on, there was another player who we felt should have been higher. At second glance, Chris and I felt that Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones was too low. He ended up sixth, but we now feel like we should have had him above both Melvin Ingram and Courtney Upshaw.

When you finish the year with an SEC-best 19.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks after a a year away from the field you deserve to be higher.

Our bad.

We took some heat from the College GameDay crew during the season for having only one LSU player — cornerback Morris Claiborne — on our preseason list. (We didn't even have Tyrann Mathieu on the preseason list! We sure look boneheaded now.) Well, we certainly deserved that and had four Tigers on the postseason list, including No. 2 (Claiborne) and No. 3 (Mathieu). Defensive end Sam Montgomery and guard Will Blackwell just missed the cut, too.

We've also received word from some readers that we missed on Tennessee wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers, who was passed by LSU's Rueben Randle and South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery.

When we created this list we took into consideration stats and total impact on a team — good and bad. Yes, Rogers led the SEC in receiving, but his impact wasn't as positive as the others. Randle was LSU's top receiving target all season, was a true leader and finished the year third in the SEC in receiving. Jeffery was South Carolina's only real dependable receiver all season and of his eight touchdowns, five came in conference games. Jeffery also spent the first eight games on a team that didn't have much of a passing game and was still sixth in the league in receiving.

Also, Jeffery had a monster outing in South Carolina's bowl win, while when Tennessee needed a win over Kentucky to become bowl eligible, Rogers caught just two passes in the loss and was openly complaining and being divisive on the sideline.

Rogers had a solid season, but more was taken into consideration than just his play.

Five players — Richardson, Upshaw, Dont'a Hightower, Barrett Jones and Mark Barron — from our preseason top 10 remained there in our postseason countdown, so that made us look good.

We missed on two South Carolina players in the preseason in Devin Taylor (No. 6) and Stephon Gilmore (No. 12) and didn't see Ingram (postseason No. 5) coming. But we did have 14 of 25 from our preseason list back on our postseason list. It probably would have been more if not for injuries to South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore, Arkansas running back Knile Davis and defensive end Jake Bequette, or the dismissal of former Tennessee safety Janzen Jackson.

Here's a breakdown of the list by team, position, side of the field, year and division:

TEAM

• Alabama (7)
• Georgia (5)
• LSU (4)
• Arkansas (3)
• South Carolina (2)
• Auburn (1)
• Kentucky (1)
• Mississippi State (1)
• Vanderbilt (1)

POSITION

• DB (7)
• LB (4)
• WR/TE (4)
• DL (3)
• QB (2)
• RB (2)
• OL (3)

SIDE OF THE FIELD

• Defense (14)
• Offense (11)

YEAR

• Senior (11)
• Junior (9)
• Sophomore (5)

DIVISION

• West (16)
• East (9)

Check in tomorrow to see players who just missed the cut for the postseason top 25.

ESPN NFL draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay both have five Alabama players going in the first round in their latest mock drafts, which would set an SEC record.

Alabama had four players taken in the first round of last year's draft. LSU also produced four first-round selections in the 2007 draft as did Auburn in the 2005 draft. But no SEC team has ever had five first-round selections in the same year.

If Alabama does indeed have five, that would be 12 first-round picks in the last four years for the Crimson Tide. From a national perspective, only Miami (in 2002) and USC (in 1968) have produced five first-round picks in the same draft.

Should LSU receiver Rueben Randle slip into the first round, there could be as many as eight players from those Alabama and LSU teams this season going in the first round, and that doesn't even count the guys who're returning to college that could be first-rounders next year.

The player who's really helped himself in workouts is Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower. Kiper and McShay both have Hightower projected to go 24th overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

McShay has Alabama running back Trent Richardson dropping some in the first round. Richardson, who recently had minor knee surgery, is projected by McShay to go No. 11 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kiper predicts 11 SEC players will be picked in the first round, which would tie an SEC record, while McShay has 10 SEC players going in the first round.

Another player who's apparently helped himself with an impressive showing at the NFL combine is South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who gave up his senior season to enter the draft. Kiper has Gilmore going No. 23 overall to the Detroit Lions.

After the NFL combine, Mel Kiper has been hard at work to deliver us a handful of news and notes. It seems as though he works just as hard as the participants do throughout the week.

He has updated his list of the top five players at each position heading into April's NFL draft and the SEC is very well represented, getting 20 players on his list and having at least one player listed at each position.

Here is Kiper's updated list and a little analysis from him on some players:

QUARTERBACK

• No. 4: Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M, 6-4, 221 pounds, Sr.

RUNNING BACK

• No. 1: Trent Richardson, Alabama, 5-9, 228, Jr.

"Richardson is a rare running back who has the chance to crack the top 10 on draft day, but he'll need to prove his knee is fine. My guess is he will."

FULLBACK

• No. 4: Bruce Figgins, Georgia, 6-4, 272, Sr.

WIDE RECEIVER

• No. 5: Rueben Randle, LSU, 6-3, 210, Jr.

TIGHT END

• No. 2: Orson Charles, Georgia, 6-2, 251, Jr.

OFFENSIVE TACKLE

• No. 5: Bobbie Massie, Ole Miss, 6-6, 316, Jr.

OFFENSIVE GUARD

• No. 2: Cordy Glenn, Georgia, 6-5, 345, Sr.

"Glenn is a massive guy, a versatile lineman who can move outside to tackle in a pinch. I still think he's best suited at guard."

CENTER

• No. 4: William Vlachos, Alabama, 6-1, 294, Sr.

DEFENSIVE END

• No. 2: Melvin Ingram, South Carolina, 6-1, 264, Sr.

"Ingram is closing, and had a good week in Indy. Branch has the size and athleticism to move to 3-4 outside linebacker."

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

• No. 2: Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State, 6-4, 298, Jr.
• No. 3: Michael Brockers, LSU, 6-5, 322, RSo

"Brockers and Cox profile similarly in terms of scheme, as 4-3 defensive tackles or even 3-4 defensive ends depending on what kind of looks a team is working with."

INSIDE LINEBACKER

• No. 2: Dont'a Hightower, Alabama, 6-2, 265, Jr.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER

• No. 1: Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, 6-2, 272, Sr.

"I think Upshaw could be drafted into pretty much any scheme and succeed, but at 272 pounds, there are fair questions about whether he's a tweener -- too small to handle 4-3 DE, and too big to be an every-down 3-4 OLB. His talent is significant, but that's something we'll need to watch."

CORNERBACKS

• No. 1: Morris Claiborne, LSU, 5-11, 188, Jr.
• No. 2: Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama, 6-2, 186, Jr.

"Claiborne was a revelation this season, and the film tells the story. The guy is exceptionally instinctive, and while he lacks the same level of athleticism as Patrick Peterson, he is every bit as good and probably better as a pure cover corner. Kirkpatrick has good size and maintains above-average quickness, and is safely in Round 1."

SAFETY

• No. 1: Mark Barron, Alabama, 6-1, 213, Sr.
• No. 5: Antonio Allen, 6-1, 210, South Carolina, Sr.

KICKER

• No. 3: Blair Walsh, Georgia, 5-10, 192, Sr.

"Going into the year, Walsh to me seemed like a lock to hold down the top spot. But his inconsistency became, well, consistent, and he dropped. He may need to battle through the UFA process if he wants to make a team."

• No. 5: Randy Bullock, Texas A&M, 5-9, 212, Sr.

PUNTER

• No. 1: Drew Butler, Georgia, 6-2, 214, Sr.

"Butler actually boomed his punts farther as a sophomore, but over the past two seasons, he's become a master at getting maximum distance while eliminating returns. That's what NFL teams want -- a guy who can get off big punts, but not so long that they limit coverage."

Soon, a host of former college athletes will be thrown into the ultimate meat market. They'll be poked, prodded and interviewed until their faces turn blue at the NFL combine.

But it will all be worth it, as they attempt to take the next step in their football careers -- hearing their names called in April's NFL draft.

The combine provides athletes the opportunity to continue thoroughly impressing NFL scouts, coaches and general managers, but it also gives some under-the-radar athletes the chance to improve their stock heading into April. Forty-yard dash times, bench-press reps and verticals can go along way for players still looking to climb teams' draft boards.

ESPN's Steve Muench took a look at three prospects trying to do exactly that . Two just happen to come from the SEC in LSU wide receiver Rueben Randle and Ole Miss offensive tackle Bobby Massie.

Randle, who has a draft grade of 84, was LSU's top wide receiver in 2011, catching 53 passes for 917 yards and eight touchdowns. He proved to be too much for defensive backs at times in one-on-one situations with his size and speed. Randle's speed is also pretty good for someone with his frame. With better quarterback play, Randle might have made a bigger name for himself heading into the combine.

Here's some of what Muench said about Randle:

"In terms of draft positioning, Randle sits right behind South Carolina WR Alshon Jeffery* (85), who is not expected to run well at the combine. If Randle posts a better 40-yard dash time and catches the ball as well as expected, while also showing some improvement in his routes during field drills, he could very well leapfrog Jeffery on the draft board. That would put him in position to land with a team like the Minnesota Vikings, who could be in the market for a receiver early in the second round."

For Massie, who has a draft grade of 76, 2011 could be considered a step back. Though Massie ended his career starting 29 straight games at right tackle, the Rebels owned one of the worst offenses around. The line gave up 31 sacks and the running game registered 541 yards of loss on the season, finishing 10th in the conference in rushing offense. Muench said that with his "above-average" athleticism, Massie could impress during one-on-one drills, and his 6-foot-6, 320-pound frame gives him ideal size for the tackle position.

Here's what Muench said about Massie:

"The 2012 tackle class is not all that strong, and with teams always looking for help at that position, Massie has an opportunity to move into the second-round conversation if he performs as well as expected. The Miami Dolphins need to address their quarterback need before anything else, but they would do well to get Massie on Day 2 (rounds 2-3). He could line up on the right side, teaming with standout LOT Jake Long to give the Dolphins the bookends they'll need in order for their quarterback to have time in the pocket."

The SEC had seven players selected among the top 15 picks in last year's NFL draft, and ESPN's Mel Kiper is projecting a similar haul for the SEC in 2012.

Kiper has four SEC players going in the top 10, led by Alabama running back Trent Richardson to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the No. 5 overall pick. Kiper predicts that nine of the top 17 selections will be SEC players, and he has 10 SEC players overall going in the first round.

One of the players Kiper has sliding up into the bottom part of the first round is LSU receiver Rueben Randle.

Kiper predicts that four Alabama players will go in the first round and three LSU players. Alabama also had four players go in the first round last year.

Here's a look at where Kiper has SEC players going in his latest mock draft:

• No. 5 -- Alabama RB Trent Richardson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• No. 6 -- LSU CB Morris Claiborne, Washington Redskins
• No. 8 -- LSU DT Michael Brockers, Carolina Panthers
• No. 10 -- Alabama OLB Courtney Upshaw, Buffalo Bills
• No. 12 -- South Carolina DE Melvin Ingram, Seattle Seahawks
• No. 14 -- Alabama S Mark Barron, Dallas Cowboys
• No. 15 -- Mississippi State DT Fletcher Cox, Philadelphia Eagles
• No. 16 -- Georgia OT Cordy Glenn, New York Jets
• No. 17 -- Alabama CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Cincinnati Bengals
• No. 30 -- LSU WR Rueben Randle, San Francisco 49ers

We're heading down to the bayou to find our next player on our top 25 countdown:

No. 22: Rueben Randle, WR, LSU, Jr.

Preseason rank: Not ranked in the 2011 preseason countdown.

2011 numbers: He was third in the SEC with 917 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns. He was also second in the league in yards per catch (17.3). Five of his eight touchdowns came in conference play. He was also voted an All-SEC performer by the SEC coaches and the Associated Press.

Why he's here: There is no question that Randle was LSU's top receiving target in 2011. Last season, he caught 20 more passes and had nearly 400 more receiving yards than he had as a sophomore. Even with a passing game that was never spectacular, Randle found ways to make plays for the Tigers. He had four 100-plus-yard games last fall and proved to be tough for many defenders to handle in one-on-one situations with his 6-foot-4, 208-pound frame. His physicality helped him separate from defenders and helped him out-muscle players for tough passes. He even became a legitimate deep threat for LSU quarterbacks, catching at least one pass of 30 or more yards in eight games last fall. Defenses had to turn to double-teaming Randle at times in order to take him out of games.

• No. 23: Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt
• No. 24: Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina
• No. 25: Michael Dyer, RB, Auburn