The SEC lost a lot of talent at the outside linebacker position this offseason. First-round picks Josh Allen and Montez Sweat highlighted the departures, but other guys who graduated or left early also hurt the depth in the conference.

Christian Miller, Vosean Joseph, Jachai Polite, Dre Greenlaw, D’Andre Walker, Gerri Green and others are also off to the pro ranks, so the SEC will need to have some new guys step up and establish themselves as pass rushers from the linebacker position.

There are a few guys who will likely be NFL Draft picks this time next year, but other guys need to start to live up to their potential.

Heading into the 2019 season, here’s how we’d rank the top 10 outside linebacker in the SEC:

10. Jonathan Greenard, Florida

Greenard is a transfer from Louisville, where he had an outstanding 2017 season. For the Cardinals that year, he put up 48 tackles (15.5 for a loss) and 7.5 sacks.

He could end up being a top-five SEC outside linebacker before all is said and done, but he’s coming off a wrist injury that cost him his entire 2018 season. He has some skills, though, which he showed off in Florida’s spring game:

It's hard to replace Jachai Polite's 11 sacks and 19.5 TFLs, but #Gators grad transfer Jonathan Greenard will definitely help out in the pass rush. He's got some tools and moves down. 6-4, 260, has seven sacks and 15.5 TFLs @ Louisville in 2017. Missed '18 with a broken wrist. pic.twitter.com/Rv7pZsqn8l — Zach Goodall (@zach_goodall) April 21, 2019

I want to see him more in Todd Grantham’s defense, but if he gets comfortable early, he could be a great complement for DE Jabari Zuniga.

9. Sherrod Greene, South Carolina

Greene is a bit of a hybrid, like a lot of defensive guys these days. He can move inside sometimes, but he can also play on the edge. Last season, he recorded 73 tackles, three for a loss, and also had an interception (returned for a touchdown) and forced a fumble.

The Gamecocks’ defense has some talent, but it’ll be up to coach Will Muschamp and DC Travaris Robinson to figure out how to use the pieces. Greene has the talent to play outside a bit more, so we’ll see how South Carolina uses him this fall.

8. Qaadir Sheppard, Ole Miss

Sheppard had a solid junior season, recording 48 tackles (10 for a loss) and two sacks. Yes, the Ole Miss defense struggled as a whole, but Sheppard showed some potential.

This year, with Mike MacIntyre taking over as the Rebels’ defensive coordinator, the entire unit should fare better. Sheppard will be a big part of that, and it’ll be interesting to see how MacIntyre maximizes Sheppard’s talents this fall.

7. Monty Rice, Georgia

Rice is a guy who seems poised to take a big step forward this fall. And that’s good, because the Bulldogs will need him. A lot of the star power from the last two years is off to the NFL, and Kirby Smart’s most-talented recruiting classes are only sophomores and freshmen this season.

Rice is a player who could easily eclipse the 59 tackles (1.5 for a loss) and one sack he posted in 2018, appearing in nine games. With Mel Tucker off to Colorado, Dan Lanning is the Dawgs’ new defensive coordinator. He has a background in coaching outside linebackers, so we’ll see what he can do with Rice.

6. Jamar Watson, Kentucky

The Wildcats will need to rebuild their linebacking corps around Kash Daniel this fall after losing Josh Allen and Jordan Jones. Watson will be a big part of that, as he returns after recording 24 tackles and five sacks in 2018.

Watch him get around the edge against South Carolina last season, forcing a fumble and picking up a sack:

Jamar Watson with the sack and forced fumble. pic.twitter.com/QCYMhhNapR — KY Clips (@KY_Clips) September 30, 2018

He played alongside Allen, so coach Mark Stoops will hope that Allen was able to impart some of his wisdom onto Watson, who is physically capable of becoming a star this fall.

5. Willie Gay Jr., Mississippi State

Gay is a versatile guy, recording 48 tackles, five sacks and two interceptions last season. He enters a big season, too, with the Bulldogs looking to reload on defense.

When you lose guys like Jeffery Simmons, Montez Sweat and Gerri Green on defense, you need to find some answers to avoid taking a step back. However, even with those guys on the field, Gay still made an impact in 2018.

He can do whatever DC Bob Shoop asks him to do, which is going to make life easier for the Bulldogs as they adjust to not having the stars mentioned above in their front seven.

4. Terrell Lewis, Alabama

Lewis has had absolutely brutal injury luck during his time at Alabama so far. In 2017, he tore a muscle in his arm after appearing in only four games. Last year, he suffered a torn ACL in July, ending his 2018 season before it even started.

If you look at the guy, he’s a beast. But, that doesn’t matter if you’re watching from the sideline. Hopefully he’s able to stay healthy this year and show what he can do.

He can be a great complement to Anfernee Jennings (see below), and if he’s at full strength, no opposing lineman will want to see him lined up on the other side of the line of scrimmage.

3. K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU

Like Lewis, Chaisson is working his way back from a lost season. Unlike Lewis, he actually played 10 games as a freshman in 2017 before missing all but the opener against Miami in 2018.

In his limited action against the Hurricanes before he tore his ACL, though, he still managed to record five tackles and a sack. He looked like he could be a breakout star before the injury brought his season to a grinding halt.

He has the size and speed to be an Arden Key-like impact player for the Tigers this year, so we’ll see if he can stay on the field for Dave Aranda’s defense in 2019.

2. Darrell Taylor, Tennessee

Taylor is the SEC’s returning leader in sacks, recording eight quarterback takedowns in 2018. He wasn’t super consistent, but when he was on his game, he was dominant.

He had three sacks against Georgia (see below) and four sacks against Kentucky, with his final sack coming against Vanderbilt:

Darrell Taylor's 3️⃣ sacks against Georgia were the most by a player against the Bulldogs in over two years and the most by a Vol since Derek Barnett in 2016. #PoweredByTheT pic.twitter.com/kAvccpKnxr — Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 2, 2018

If he can take those flashes of brilliance and turn them into a more consistent effort, he’ll give the No. 1 player on our list a run for his money before the year is out.

1. Anfernee Jennings, Alabama

It’s a close battle between Taylor and Jennings for the No. 1 spot, but Jennings’ consistency is what gives him the No. 1 spot. He was all over the place for the Tide defense in 2018, recording 50 tackles (13 for a loss) and 5.5 sacks. He also recorded an interception, recovered two passes and knocked down 11 passes.

Here he is beating a hold to record a sack against Texas A&M:

Alabama EDGE Anfernee Jennings continues to show why I’m high on him. Wins with speed off the edge, rushes ½ a man, uses his left arm to create separation and runs the hoop for the sack. pic.twitter.com/lODIzIKdot — Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) September 22, 2018

And here he is showing his versatility and rushing from a three-point stance:

Kyler Murray steps into a Anfernee Jennings sack, followed by Christian Miller blowing right by Bobby Evans. Advantage: Bama DL – pic.twitter.com/C5404XAiAr — Michael Kist (@MichaelKistNFL) December 30, 2018

He can do whatever is asked of him, and if he can stay healthy, he could be a top-15 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Look for him to finish with a lot more than 5.5 sacks this fall.