SEC Football: Defense will Determine Division, Conference Winners in 2017

Dec 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide players celebrate winning the trophy after the SEC Championship college football game against the Florida Gators at Georgia Dome. Alabama defeated Florida 54-16. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

SEC East

In the East, Florida, while the team lost a bevy of talent to the NFL Draft, should be strong again. Like Auburn, the team will probably see some regression because of the loss of talent. Consider this: Florida lost six starters to graduation and three underclassmen on defense to the NFL draft. The team returns just two returning defensive starters.

Georgia should take a major step forward in year two under Kirby Smart. Georgia had only one player drafted in the 2017 NFL Draft. The team lost three key defensive contributors to graduation. Georgia’s defense is still relatively young, but possesses plenty of talent on paper.

The SEC East is weaker in general and specifically on the defensive side of the ball. Florida lost nine defensive starters, but has a recent track record of being very strong defensively in recent years. Georgia is a team on the rise in the East.

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The best defensive teams in the SEC tend to dominate the conference. Alabama and LSU, despite losing a lot of talent to the NFL Draft, are expected to be the top defensive teams in 2017. Texas A&M and Auburn should be strong.

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