LSU Tigers

We ranked the guys in the trenches on Friday, so now it’s time to take a look at the outside guys on the defensive line.

Below is the way we would rank the top 10 defensive ends in the SEC heading into the 2012 season. One thing to note is that Florida’s Ronald Powell, who plays a hybrid end/linebacker role for the Gators, is not on this list because he’s recovering from ACL surgery and could miss the first part of the season.

Here’s what we came up with:

1. Sam Montgomery, Jr., LSU: The SEC’s most complete defensive end, Montgomery is big enough and explosive enough to stuff the run as well as rush the passer. He had nine sacks last season.

2. Jadeveon Clowney, Soph., South Carolina: His freshman season was just a glimpse. Clowney had eight sacks and five forced fumbles and was playing on talent alone. He’ll be an every-down force in 2012.

3. Barkevious Mingo, Jr., LSU: LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis predicted that Mingo would emerge as the best pass-rusher in the SEC. He’s well on his way after racking up 15 tackles for loss last season.

4. Corey Lemonier, Jr. Auburn: He’s the leading returning sack man among SEC defensive ends with 9.5 last season. Lemonier could play his way into the first round of the NFL draft with a big junior season.

5. Damontre Moore, Jr., Texas A&M: He may be new to the SEC, but Moore will quickly introduce himself to opposing quarterbacks in this league. He finished with 17.5 tackles for loss a year ago and forced four fumbles.

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LSU's coaching staff got a first-hand look at its newest batch of offensive talent on Saturday, and the results were impressive to say the least.

The Louisiana Bootleggers -- an all-star 7-on-7 team comprised of mostly LSU commitments and targets -- blitzed through Saturday's 7-on-7 tournament in style, capping off a tournament victory with a 24-13 win against Edna Karr.

The list of future Tigers featured on the Bootleggers was almost as impressive as the plays they were making. Two-star quarterback Shane McCarley (Manvel, Texas/Manvel) went to the line with the likes of Tigers commit and ESPN 150 member DeSean Smith (Lake Charles, La./Barbe) lined up to his right, and fellow commits Tre'Davious White (Shreveport, La./Green Oaks) and John Diarse (Monroe, La./Neville) lined up to his left.

If there was any doubt as to why the trio is among the most coveted recruits in Louisiana, Saturday's games proved why. Smith was a matchup nightmare all afternoon with repeated catches over the middle of the field, and his leaping touchdown reception on a corner fade against St. Augustine belongs on any highlight tape.

White not only excelled as a receiver, but he got into the mix and proved his worth as a cornerback with stifling jams and several breakups.

There was no MVP award, but Diarse truly proved himself as the star of the day. Many consider the four-star athlete to be the best player in Louisiana, and it's hard to argue after watching Diarse race his way to two touchdowns in the championship game. On top of that he switched from receiver to safety on multiple occasions and made several gorgeous picks.

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We’ve already gone through the different position groups on offense in SEC.

Now, it’s on to the side of the ball this league is known for -- defense.

More specifically, we examine the top defensive lines, and there are at least five or six in the SEC that would rank among the best in the country.

In fact, defensive line play is one of the things that has separated the SEC from everybody else over the years.

Here’s how we would rank the defensive lines going into the 2012 season:

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The SEC leads the nation with five players on the preseason watch list for the 2012 Jim Thorpe Award, which is presented annually to the nation's best defensive back.

LSU, which owns the past two Thorpe Award winners -- Patrick Peterson (2010) and Morris Claiborne (2011) -- leads the SEC with two players on the watch list.

Here are all five SEC players on the Thorpe list:

• Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
• Matt Elam, S, Florida
• Robert Lester, S, Alabama
• Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU
• Eric Reid, S, LSU

For a complete look at the Thorpe watch list, go here.

We're always looking for the next best thing. The coaching world isn't any different.

Who's the next Urban Meyer? The next Chris Petersen? What about another Brady Hoke?

Who's that next great assistant who rises up the ranks and takes over a major program ... and succeeds?

I'm not completely sure, but I have a few ideas. Here are some coaches lurking in the SEC who could be on their way to bigger and better things or are ready to take the next step with their current teams:

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Now that we've ranked the best defensive lines in the SEC, who are the best individual players up front defensively?

We'll start with the defensive tackles today and come back on Monday and rank the 10 best defensive ends.

Here goes:

1. Bennie Logan, Jr., LSU: Overshadowed last season by eventual first-rounder Michael Brockers, Logan will anchor what should be one of the most dominant defensive lines in college football.

2. Jesse Williams, Sr., Alabama: He has incredible strength and tremendous size. Williams’ move to nose guard from end will make him a force in the middle for the Crimson Tide.

3. John Jenkins, Sr., Georgia: Good luck in moving the 350-pound Jenkins an inch. He made more plays as last season progressed and should be even better his second time through the SEC.

4. Dominique Easley, Jr., Florida: Versatile enough to play inside and outside, Easley is one of the better interior playmakers in the league. The only concern is how well he recovers from last season’s ACL tear.

5. Josh Boyd, Sr., Mississippi State: Fletcher Cox got most of the publicity last season in Starkville. But now that Cox is gone, it’s Boyd time to shine for the Bulldogs. He had 4.5 sacks last season.

6. Sharrif Floyd, Jr., Florida: He’s back at his natural position of tackle and may play some at nose when the Gators go to a three-man front. This should be his most productive season yet.

7. Anthony Johnson, So., LSU: Yes, another LSU defensive lineman is on the list. Johnson will see his snaps increase dramatically this season, and there’s a reason they call him “Freak.”

8. Rob Lohr, Sr., Vanderbilt: One of the more underrated defensive players in the league, Lohr had 41 tackles last season, including 11.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.

9. Byran Jones, Jr., Arkansas: The Hogs have good experience and good depth at tackle. Jones is the best of the bunch, although Robert Thomas may have something to say about that this season.

10. Sheldon Richardson, Jr., Missouri: Despite starting in only two games last season, Richardson managed eight tackles for loss. The Tigers need him to take another step this season, and he’s poised to do that.

Now that we've ranked the top 10 wide receivers, it's time to check out the top tight ends.

Past rankings

• Top 10 quarterbacks
• Top 10 running backs
• Top 10 wide receivers

Here are our top 10 SEC tight ends:

1. Chris Gragg, Sr., Arkansas: Gragg is a big, fast target who can cause mismatches for defenders. He has great hands and with the loss of three NFL wide receivers he'll be one of Tyler Wilson's top targets this fall. Expect him to improve on his 41 catches and 518 yards from last year.

2. Philip Lutzenkirchen, Sr., Auburn: He only caught 24 passes last year, but seven of those catches went for touchdowns. He's a big-time threat in the red zone and is a solid blocker as well. The addition of fullback Jay Prosch will give Lutzenkirchen a chance to be even more active in the receiving game.

3. Jordan Reed, Jr., Florida: There's no doubt that Reed is extremely athletic, but he can lose focus at times on the field. Still, when he's on the ball, he can make plenty of plays. He's the Gators' top returning receiving target and with two young quarterbacks throwing this year, Reed has the chance to rack up receptions as a close-to-the-line safety net.

4. Mychal Rivera, Sr., Tennessee: Rivera is a very reliable and consistent weapon for the Vols. Even with Justin Hunter coming back and Cordarrelle Patterson jumping into the receiving mix, Rivera might not see his production drop too much if Tyler Bray can stay health. This team will throw it around as much as possible.

5. Michael Williams, Sr., Alabama: Williams only caught 17 passes last year, but there were a couple more proven players around him. This time around, his experience will be valued more by quarterback AJ McCarron. He's a solid player and can be a beast on the field, so the coaches are expecting to get a lot more out of him this fall.

6. Malcolm Johnson, So., Mississippi State: He was once a receiver, but has now found a home at tight end. He averaged 18.7 yards on his 11 catches last year and scored three touchdowns. The Bulldogs have a lot of receiving options, but Johnson should have plenty of chances to improve on last year's production.

7. Justice Cunningham, Sr., South Carolina: He'll continue to have Rory Anderson playing on the other side of him, but Cunningham's a bigger, more experienced target in the Gamecocks' passing game and will likely get more looks this fall with Alshon Jeffery gone. He's a solid blocker and will even line up as a fullback in two-back sets.

8. Chase Clement, Sr., LSU: He's on the John Mackey watch list, but has just nine career catches, with seven coming last season as a backup. Clement will be used to block often, which is needed with a team that runs the ball as much as LSU does. And with an offense that's expected to be more pass-friendly, Clement could see the ball thrown his way more often.

9. Nehemiah Hicks, Jr., Texas A&M: The Aggies have three tight ends they can use in their offense, but Hicks might be the most gifted of the bunch. He started seven games last year and is coming off of shoulder surgery, but if he's healthy he'll be a nice looking target for whichever quarterback takes the field for A&M this fall.

10. Jamal Mosley, Sr., Ole Miss: While he only caught 12 passes last year, Mosley is expected to be used more often in Ole Miss' new spread offense. He's another one of those more athletic tight ends and should help the Rebels with their depth issues in the passing game.