McKenzie only Bulldog taken in draft,

Georgia’s leading receiver last season selected by Broncos.

ATHENS — Isaiah McKenzie was a surprise entrant into the NFL draft. As it turns out, if he hadn’t entered, Georgia wouldn’t have had anybody picked at all.

The Denver Broncos selected McKenzie, Georgia’s leading receiver last year, in the fifth round of the NFL draft Saturday. He was the first and only Bulldog to be picked.

It’s the fewest Georgia players selected in the draft since 1992, when none was picked. But two former Georgia players were picked this year: Lamar cornerback Brendan Langley in the third round and Louisville safety Josh Harvey-Clemons in the seventh round.

Five other Georgia juniors who probably would have been drafted also elected to return for their final years: Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, Lorenzo Carter, Davin Bellamy and Dominick Sanders. And a sixth, defensive back Aaron Davis, also returned for his senior year and might have been picked.

McKenzie declared for the draft after last season, in large part because it wasn’t guaranteed that he would be able to return to school, due to an academic matter.

McKenzie was Georgia’s leading receiver last year as a junior and also set the school record for punt return touchdowns. But his prospect status was diminished by his 5-foot-7 height.

The last time Georgia didn’t have a player selected in the first round was 2014, when quarterback Aaron Murray lasted until the fifth round. That was also the last time the Bulldogs had fewer than three players selected. The Bulldogs only had two selected that year.

In fact, the first player drafted from a school in the state of Georgia was from Albany State, a Division II school. (The player was defensive lineman Grover Stewart, selected in the fourth round and 144th overall by Indianapolis.)

Other Georgia players who had been hoping to hear their name called and will likely sign free-agent deals: offensive linemen Greg Pyke, Tyer Catalina and Brandon Kublanow, and defensive backs Maurice Smith and Quincy Mauger.

CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM Former Bulldogs wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, a fifth-round pick by Denver, was the lone UGA player picked in the draft. It’s the fewest Bulldogs selected in a draft since 1992, when none was picked.