SEC Football: 5 NFL Draft Picks That Will Be Successfully Replaced This Season
You have heard the cliché many times: "That team doesn't rebuild—it just reloads." While there is some truth to this statement for the nation's elite programs, there is almost always some drop-off. No matter how talented an incoming starter might be, he still needs playing time before his potential becomes reality.
However, in certain circumstances a team is able to replace an elite star without losing a beat, and in a select few examples the team gets even better.
Perhaps the most notable example of this concept in the last 20 years is that of the 1998 Tennessee Volunteers. Former Tennessee Volunteer Peyton Manning was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft. Despite losing the greatest quarterback in school history and perhaps SEC history, the Vols ended up winning the 1998 BCS national championship with replacement quarterback Tee Martin. Martin would help Tennessee return to yet another BCS bowl in 1999.
No one will ever debate that Peyton Manning was the better quarterback of the two players. However, Martin was able to accomplish something that Manning was never able to accomplish. Martin was never as talented or productive as Manning, but he was able to replace him well enough that the defense was able to do the rest.
In this article I will list five players who, despite their greatness at their respective universities, will be successfully replaced this season.
Former Alabama Running Back Mark Ingram
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I will start this list with the most obvious selection, Mark Ingram. Alabama will be able to pull off one of the rarest feats in college football. It's going to successfully replace a running back who was not only a first-round draft pick but a Heisman winner as well.
Alabama has plenty of question marks going into the fall. However, new starting tailback Trent Richardson is not one of them. Richardson has compiled over 1,800 offensive yards and 18 total touchdowns in his first two seasons despite playing behind Ingram.
If Richardson can stay healthy and the offensive line progresses as people expect, he could be the second Alabama running back to become a Heisman finalist in three seasons. Not only is he explosive with the football in his hands, but he is also one of the strongest pound-for-pound football players in the nation.
Look for Richardson to surpass Ingram's total yards production of 2009, when he won the Heisman Trophy. With fewer proven stars on the offensive side of the ball, Richardson will be called upon to shine.
Former Georgia Wide Receiver A.J. Green
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If you watched UGA play last season without A.J. Green, you might doubt how legit this list is with me adding him to it. However, there were several reasons for the stalled offense for UGA in its four games without Green.
First off, the Bulldogs had a freshman quarterback who they wanted to work in slowly. The coaching staff was hesitant to let him do anything that might cost them the game early. However, when they let him loose in the second half of the South Carolina and Arkansas games, he was dynamic.
They were also in shambles at the running back position. Washaun Ealey was in the doghouse for a suspension, and Caleb King was battling an injury. When you are trying to work in a freshman quarterback, this can spell disaster.
This season, Aaron Murray is a proven commodity, and coach Mark Richt and coach Mike Bobo will open up the playbook. In seasons where Coach Richt has a returning starter at the quarterback position, he is 55-11. His offenses are more creative because he has a greater deal of trust in the quarterback's decision-making.
It should also be noted that prior to the arrival of Green, UGA was a team that spread the ball around to several wide receivers instead of having one player serve as a focal point. UGA rarely had a receiver with daunting stats prior to Green's arrival. However, it had a record of 82-22 when Green was not the focal point.
That is not to take away from Green, who is perhaps the best true wide receiver in UGA history, but the Bulldogs did play their best ball as a team when they spread the ball around.
Former LSU Running Back Stevan Ridley
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If you are looking for a name that you might not know yet but soon will, remember the name Spencer Ware. This two-sport athlete is destined to be the next great running back at LSU. Despite losing Ridley, who rushed for 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns, the Tigers' running game is in great shape.
Last season, Spencer only had 24 carries all season. However, 10 of those were against Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl, where he rushed for 102 yards. Ware continued his hot streak in the spring game, where he rushed for 94 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 50 yards.
It is not his stats that lead me to believe this—it is how he gets those yards. At 5'11" and 225 lbs., this dynamic young back has as complete of a repertoire as you will ever see from a running back with only 24 carries. Looke for Spencer to pass Ridley's total yards by at least 200.
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Former Arkansas Quarterback Ryan Mallett
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Ryan Mallett declared for the NFL draft this season and left the University of Arkansas as one of the top quarterbacks in Razorback history. Mallett threw for over 3,600 yards in back-to-back seasons while at Arkansas. He also passed for over 30 touchdowns each season during that span.
However, Mallett had a reputation for folding under pressure. While much of that criticism was unfair, he did make costly errors at the end of certain games, including his last game as a Razorback in the 2011 Sugar Bowl.
His replacement, Tyler Wilson, has already shown that he is not afraid of the big lights. Last season, against the eventual national champion Auburn Tigers, Mallett went down with an injury in the second quarter. Despite the lack of preparation, Wilson responded by completing 25 of 34 passes for 332 yards and four touchdowns.
With perhaps the best running back stable in the SEC, Arkansas will improve statistically this season as an offensive unit. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino is one of the top coaches in the nation at preparing quarterbacks. I fully expect Wilson to lead the SEC in passing yards this season and finish as a second-team All-SEC quarterback selection.
If the spring game was any indication, expect a multitude of big plays out of the Arkansas passing game this season. Wilson was impressive in the spring game, as three of his first five completions went for over 40 yards each.
Former Alabama Defensive End Marcell Dareus
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Marcell Dareus, despite modest numbers, was a dominating figure for the Crimson Tide over the past two seasons. He will forever be remembered by Tide faithful for his play in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.
Dareus was awarded the defensive MVP of that game for his stellar play, which included a 28-yard interception returned for a touchdown just prior to halftime. However, the most memorable play was a tackle against Colt McCoy that left McCoy with a separated shoulder and Texas without much of a shot at a win.
Usually, in this portion of the article, I would name the player who is going to replace Dareus. However, in the case of the Tide, it is going to be the whole defensive unit, just like in 2009.
In 2009, when Dont'a Hightower went down with an injury, it looked like the Tide would take a step back
defensively. However, true freshman Nico Johnson stepped in his place and played admirably. There were times when Johnson would make a freshman mistake. However, Alabama's defense plays as a unit and was able to cover any minor mistakes made by Johnson. As a result, the defense never missed a beat.
The same will be true this season. With the largest majority of players coming back on the defensive side of the ball, the Tide will replace Dareus with a gifted, unproven athlete. However, the defense will play as a unit to help him while he grows into the position, and it will only get better as the season goes on.
Final Take
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All five of the players I have listed are great players. No one person, no matter how talented, can replace any of these players. For the transition to be successful it must be a team effort.
There will come a day when the replacement players will graduate or make their way to the NFL. As a result, each player behind them must work just as hard as they did.
What sets the SEC apart is not the first 22—it is the players behind them. No one player makes a team; even Cam Newton had a supporting cast. The key is to play as a unit and to have new leadership step up, and I believe all of these players will.
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