The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wait over for ex-bulldogs
Charles, Boykin go in fourth round. Fulfillment of their pro dreams comes later than expected.
Saturday represented “redemption day” in the NFL draft for a few Georgia Bulldogs.
Brandon Boykin and Orson Charles each went in the fourth round, and each was projected as a higher pick than that. Charles, a tight end who had a season of eligibility remaining, had to wait until the Cincinnati Bengals took him with the 116th pick overall early Saturday afternoon. Boykin, a defensive back and kick returner, went seven picks later to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Both were all-conference selections and highly productive players at Georgia, only to see their NFL stock devalued before the draft.
Charles had already been hurt by poor workouts when he was arrested on a DUI charge in Athens on March 9. Boykin suffered a broken leg in the midst of an impressive performance in the Senior Bowl in February.
So instead of getting a call on the first or second day as they hoped, Boykin and Charles had to wait until Day 3 to realize their NFL dreams.
“I was a little upset it didn’t happen sooner,” said Boykin, who was with family and friends at home in Fayetteville on Saturday afternoon. “But after not getting my name called [Friday], I knew it’d definitely happen soon [on Saturday].”
Charles said the arrest impacted his draft status, but he said he just tried to be honest with the teams that asked him about it.
“I just [told] them that it was a one-time mistake and that it won’t happen again,” Charles said on a teleconference call with reporters.
Ben Jones was the first Georgia player selected Saturday, taken by Houston with the 99th pick overall. Placekicker Blair Walsh was chosen by Minnesota in the sixth round. Offensive lineman Justin Anderson went to Indianapolis with the first pick of the seventh round. Defensive lineman Deangelo Tyson went to Baltimore with the 236th pick.
Offensive lineman Cordy Glenn was chosen by Buffalo with the 41st pick overall during the second round Friday.
Boykin said all the Georgia players leaned on each other as they waited to hear from the NFL.
“We talked the whole time,” Boykin said. “… I was telling them to hang in there; they were telling me to hang in there. We were just trying to be there for one another, not really knowing what was going to happen. But we all knew we were going to get our shot.” New Orleans: The Saints are bringing DT Akiem Hicks back to Louisiana, three years after his chance to play for LSU fizzled before it had even begun. They took the 6-foot-5, 318-pound Hicks in the third round, adding depth to an interior line that needed it. The Saints had no first-round choice because it was traded to New England last year so New Orleans could draft
Their secondround pick was eliminated as part of the club’s bounty punishment. Hicks was with LSU in 2009 as a transfer out of Sacramento (Calif.) City College, but never played for the Tigers. He left LSU because he was ruled ineligible for being provided improper transportation and housing by former assistant coach D.J. Mccarthy, who also left the program. Tampa Bay: At the seventh spot in the first round, they were without either RB or CB the two players they wanted most. Instead they took Alabama S
who will team with converted CB Ronde Barber in an overhauled secondary. Barron can play close to the line of scrimmage, where the Bucs were desperate for help after allowing 28 runs of 20 or more yards last season. Tampa Bay jumped back into the opening round at No. 31, one spot from the end, to get Boise State RB That won’t make RB Blount happy. N.Y. Giants: For a running back, David Wilson of Virginia Tech had all the things the Super Bowl champions wanted: speed, balance, production, a love for the game and a good attitude. The Giants took Wilson with the 32nd pick overall, filling a need that opened when the team released backup Brandon Jacobs after the season. The Giants won the Super Bowl despite finishing last in the league in rushing, and Wilson has the potential to help out, coming off a season where he rushed for a school-record 1,719 yards, averaging 5.89 a carry. Philadelphia: The Eagles jumped up three spots to select Mississippi State DT
with the No. 12 pick. Cox, listed at 6-foot-4, 298 pounds, is a speedy, versatile lineman who can play inside or outside. He should fit right into Philadelphia’s lineman rotation and bolster a run defense that allowed 142.3 yards per game last season. Veterans
and are the starting tackles, but defensive line coach
rotates his linemen constantly so Cox is expected to contribute immediately. Washington: A day after taking Baylor QB Robert
the Redskins found another Texan in the draft. Offensive lineman
of SMU fills a need for depth at center and guard. The
Chicago:
Shea Mcclellin
The Bears selected DE from Boise State with the 19th pick in the draft, their first under new GM Phil Emery. Mcclellin is joining one of the NFL’S storied franchises, an organization that’s undergone some big changes this offseason, starting at the top.the Bears used their first-round pick to address a need on defense after concentrating on other areas in free agency and trades, including the blockbuster deal that brought Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall from Miami. Detroit: The franchise was thrilled to select Iowa offensive lineman Riley Reiff with the 23rd pick. Reiff will bolster the depth on their offensive line, where the starters are 30 years old on average, and protect QB in the future. Reiff skipped his senior season to enter the draft. He started 37 of 39 games for the Hawkeyes. Green Bay: The Packers recorded just 29 sacks last year. They took their strategy of surrounding and with players from other teams’ practice squads a little too far. So the Packers made a move to boost their pass rush, taking USC’S with the No. 28 overall pick. At 6-2 and 271 pounds, Perry will play outside linebacker in the Packers’ 3-4 scheme. That could make him a complement to Matthews, something the team has lacked in recent seasons. San Francisco: The 49ers bolstered their offense by adding running back
and
wide receiver
in free agency. If you cannot beat the Giants, become them. They added depth at receiver when they drafted Illinois’ with the 30th pick. He will join a unit that already features Randy
Manningham and Seattle: With a headlinegrabbing coach, a blitzing defense that managed a meager 33 sacks and a quarterback who could not throw straight, the Seahawks were the Jets of the Pacific Northwest in 2011. may have solved the quarterback problem. The Seahawks are hoping Stone Mountain’s
is the answer on defense. Irvin played DE two seasons at West Virginia and had 14 sacks as a junior and another 8½ sacks his final season. St. Louis: The Rams added a big body to the defensive line by taking LSU DT
with the 14th overall pick. Brockers, a 21-year-old sophomore, had just two sacks in his lone year as a starter but blocked a field goal in the BCS Championship game, and the Rams believe he has pass-rush potential going forward.