The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Despite advisory board grade, Nauta ‘ready for the next step’
INDIANAPOLIS — Despite being advised to return to Georgia, former Bulldogs tight end Isaac Nauta entered the draft anyway.
Nauta did not receive a first- or second-round draft grade by the NFL’s draft advisory board, but he left school a year early to enter the draft.
“For me, I felt I’d played enough football games,” Nauta said Friday at the NFL scouting combine. “Put up enough good tape. Physically and mentally, I was ready for the next step. Obviously, those evaluations are precombine before they get to know you as a person. There are lot of factors that go into where you can rise with that draft status. It was something that I felt I was ready to do, so I just went ahead and made that decisions.”
He made up his mind early. “About halfway through the season,” Nauta said about when he decided to enter the draft.
Nauta was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs. He finished his career with 68 catches for 902 yards and eight touchdowns.
S ome b elieve he was underutilized as a receiver at Georgia. He had 29 catches as a freshman, but just nine his sophomore season.
He was considered the top tight end prospect in the country coming out of Florida’s IMG Academy, where he transferred for his senior year after winning three state titles at Buford High.
Holyfield disappoints in 40: Former Georgia run- ning back Elijah Holyfield ran the 40-yard dash in an unofficial 4.76 seconds at the NFL scouting combine Friday.
The general target time for running backs is 4.55 seconds.
Holyfield was measured at 5 feet 10 and 217 pounds. He lifted 225 pounds 26 times and had a vertical jump of 29.5 inches.
He has a player rating of 5.81 by NFL.com. Players rated between 5.50 and 5.99 “should become instant starter” in the league.
“There is love on these scouting streets for him and then you have people who see him as a good backup,” said one AFC scouting director.