No idea whether this is faster or slower
In[1]:= t = Table[Sort[RandomSample[Range[12], 7], Less], {10}]
Out[1]= {{2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 12}, {3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12}, {1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10}, {1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12},
{2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12}, {1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9}, {2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12}, {3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12},
{1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11}, {2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11}}
In[2]:= one = Table[1, {7 - 1}];
Map[1 + Total[Unitize[Rest[#] - Most[#] - one]] &, t]
Out[3]= {3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3}