Georgia evolving into draft powerhouse
Time for a curtain call.
That’s effectively what the NFL draft may feel like for the University of Georgia on Thursday night when the records will be within striking range.
As many as six Bulldogs, including projected No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker, could go off the board in the first round to tie the NFL draft record for first-round picks from a single school. The mark was first set by the University of Miami in 2004, then matched by Alabama last year.
The odds are even better that five members from Georgia’s historic defense will be first-round picks, which would break the record of four firstround defenders from the same school, set by Miami in 2004 and matched by Florida State in 2006.
“I just want to see us get a record, as far as how many guys we can get in the first round,” safety Lewis Cine said. “How many guys can we get drafted? I’ll be happy for all the guys. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Cine, who blazed with a 4.37-second time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, is projected by many as a late first-round pick – and might be the fifth member from the defense to be selected.
After the record-setting unit led the way to a national title, the NFL draft is quite the encore act.
It all figures to start with Walker, the defensive end whose stock in recent weeks apparently surpassed Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson, setting him up to land with the Jacksonville Jaguars as the top pick in the draft. Within the past week, the major sportsbooks have repositioned Walker to the projected No. 1 overall slot that for weeks claimed Hutchinson. At 6-5 and 272 pounds, Walker undoubtedly helped his case by clocking at 4.51 seconds in the 40 at the combine.
The uncanny combination of blazing speed and huge bodies is also essential to the cases of two other projected firstround D-linemen from Georgia – Jordan Davis (6-6, 341, with a 4.78-second 40 time) and Devonte Wyatt (6-3, 315, with a 4.77-second 40).
The other projected first-round defender would be the versatile Nakobe Dean, who won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker.
Then there’s George Pickens, who might be the only non-defender from Georgia selected in the first round. The wide receiver is one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft, considering that he missed all but four games last season while coming off an offseason anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Before the injury, some considered him the top wide receiver in the nation. Now it’s about the tremendous upside.
The NFL’s draft is staged this year in Las Vegas, but the path to the draft undeniably has gone through Athens, Georgia, where head coach Kirby Smart led the school to its first national title since 1980. The draft will only further validate the greatness. It’s a given that Georgia will topple the school record for first-round picks, perhaps doubling the total (three) from 2018.
“To the victor goes the spoils,” Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told USA TODAY Sports while assessing the talent at Georgia’s pro day in midMarch. “You can see why they won the ‘natty.’ ”
Tomlin was among the more than 100 coaches, general managers and other NFL personnel who descended on Athens to watch the workout session.
“I can take a few people back with me,” suggested Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy. “We’ve got some extra seats on the plane.”
While the stars from the dominant defense command the spotlight, Georgia’s crop also includes a pair of running backs (James Cook and Zamir White), a couple of offensive linemen (Jamaree Salyer and Justin Shaffer) and, of course, more defenders in linebackers Quay Walker and Channing Tindall.
Brentson Buckner, a former NFL defensive lineman and current defensive line coach of the Jaguars, ran the defensive line drills during the pro day. He was impressed by more than what he saw up close from the linemen. Wanna take a few back?
“It’s like Walmart,” Buckner said. “One-stop shopping. Whatever you need, you can get it here.”
Georgia sent 14 players to the combine this year, more than any other school. That was quite the precursor to what could possibly go down this week, or in the very least an inviting target to shoot for.
The NFL record for most players chosen from one school in a single draft is 14, which was first achieved by Ohio State in 2004, then matched by LSU in 2020.
In any event, the pro day was draped in nostalgia.
Weeks after claiming the national crown, the gang got together again at the school’s football training facility for one final hurrah.
After the championship game, the players dispersed for their combine and offseason training at various locations across the country.
“Just coming here to compete again, it felt like it would be my last time at this place,” Salyer said. “So, I enjoyed it.”
The bond forged in winning a national title will likely last a lifetime. But now comes the graduation to the next level, and perhaps another dose of distinguished history.