SEC's best players - No. 5 Matthew Stafford

No. 5 - Matthew Stafford

Georgia

Jr., quarterback

Why he's No. 5: Stafford enters his junior season with plenty of experience as a third-year starter, possesses one of the strongest arms in the country and is also a proven winner. Stafford led Georgia on game-winning drives late in games three times in two years. That includes Georgia's 15-12 win over Georgia Tech in 2006, a 26-23 overtime win at Alabama last year, and the Bulldogs' 20-17 win at Vanderbilt, also in 2007. "If the supremely talented Stafford continues to progress as he did last fall, he could easily emerge as a top-five pick next April," ESPN's Todd McShay writes.

Key number: 3. This is the overall pick ESPN.com projects Stafford to be in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Fun fact: Stafford was born in Tampa but moved to Dallas where he attended Highland Park High before coming to Georgia. — Brandon Zimmerman