ESPN's Top 5 SEC players is absolutely shocking by college football standards

Award season in football usually benefits offensive players especially quarterbacks and running backs. However, in ESPN's recent rankings of the Top 25 player in the SEC for 2016, the top five players were all defensive players.

Award season in football usually benefits offensive players — especially quarterbacks and running backs. However, in ESPN's recent rankings of the Top 25 player in the SEC for 2016, the top five players were all defensive players.

Related: ESPN analyst fires shots at Heisman Trophy voters over one particular finalist 

The top five of the list included:

  • Jonathan Allen, Alabama
  • Derek Barnett, Tennessee
  • Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt
  • Reuben Foster, Alabama
  • Myles Garrett, Texas A&M

    • Eight of the top ten were defensive players as well. The SEC was offensively challenged for most of the year, but several of the defenses were among the best in the country.

    Myles Garrett, Jonathan Allen & some gifted QBs coming up, and these teams playing today like they want no part of the 1st pick of the draft

    — Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 25, 2016

    Several SEC defenders will likely be taken early in the upcoming NFL Draft. It's nice to see defense still rewarded during award season.

    (h/t ESPN)

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