Tag: dandre swift

Watch: Georgia OT Isaiah Wilson explains what it’s like blocking for D’Andre Swift

Georgia football OT Isaiah Wilson explains what it’s like blocking for D’Andre Swift.

While in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine, Georgia offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson was asked a question about what it’s like blocking for running back D’Andre Swift.

Wilson started two seasons for Georgia on the offensive line, and both seasons Swift was the Bulldogs’ lead ball carrier.

Wilson and Swift both came to Georgia out of the Northeast, with Wilson hailing from Brooklyn and Swift from Philadelphia.

They’ve both credited their mean style of play and their work ethic to where they grew up, and Wilson said that it’s been “fun blocking for him” over the past few seasons.

Watch Wilson speak on Swift here:

Behind Wilson, Swift was able to rush for a combined 2,267 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns.

Swift is viewed as a late first or early second round pick while Wilson could go anywhere from the first to the third round.

UGA’s D’Andre Swift gets NFL Draft comparison to legend

Georgia Bulldogs star running back D’Andre Swift is an elite 2020 NFL Draft prospect.

Georgia Bulldogs star running back D’Andre Swift will be missed in 2020. Swift, a five-star recruit out of Philadelphia, made the most of his time in Athens and gutted through the Sugar Bowl and SEC Championship with a shoulder injury.

Now, Swift is preparing for the 2020 NFL Draft. Swift is considered among the top running back prospects. He didn’t take a beating in college, so he should have a decent NFL shelf life.

NFL.com is comparing UGA’s D’Andre Swift to NFL legend (he’ll be a Hall of Famer when/if he retires) Frank Gore.

Dec 28, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore (21) rushes for a gain during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium. The against the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 20-17. Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Gore is an interesting comparison for Swift. Gore’s durability in the NFL may never be matched again. Gore has played in 226 games since his rookie season in 2005. He was a third round pick out of Miami when the San Francisco 49ers drafted him.

Gore has made five Pro Bowls and rushed for over 15,000 rushing yards in his career, good for third all-time. D’Andre Swift would take Frank Gore’s career in a heartbeat.

Swift should not be compared to Frank Gore. Swift will run fasted at the NFL Combine (Gore ran a 4.59 forty) and is more of a modern, explosive, and quick running back, while Gore relies on vision, strength, durability, and consistency. Swift is better suited as a receiver. He’s better compared to a back like Dalvin Cook or Kenyan Drake in today’s NFL.

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NFL Combine schedule for Georgia football’s 10 invitees

Here’s the 2020 NFL Combine schedule for the Georgia football players invited.

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Georgia had 10 players invited to participate in the 2020 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The combine will take place from February 23rd to March 2nd, with on-field workouts beginning on the 27th.

The 10 Georgia players that received an invite are as follows:

• K Rodrigo Blankenship

• WR Lawrence Cager

• QB Jake Fromm

• RB Brian Herrien

•  OL Solomon Kindley

• S J.R. Reed

• RB D’Andre Swift

• OL Andrew Thomas

• OL Isaiah Wilson

• TE Charlie Woerner

For the players that did not receive an invite, and for those who did but want to better their scores, Georgia will host its annual pro-day, where coaches from all 32 NFL teams should be present.

As for the 10 players who will be in Indianapolis next week, they’ll be busy with everything from orientation, to interviews, medical exams, psychological testing, media sessions and an NFLPA meeting.

And then finally they’ll hit the field for their workouts.

They’ll be broken up into groups. Here’s a list of those groups and the Georgia players who will be in them.

Group 1: TE, QB, WR (Fromm, Cager, Woerner)

Group 2: PK, ST, OL, RB (Blankenship, Thomas, Kindley, Wilson, Swift, Herrien)

Group 3: DL, LB (No UGA players)

Group 4: DB (JR Reed)

Here’s the schedule for the 10 Dawgs who will be there, provided by NFLCombine.net.

Group 1: (Fromm, Cager, Woerner)

Sunday, Feb. 23: Arrive in Indy, Registration, Orientation, Interviews

Monday, Feb. 24: Measurements, Pre-exam at hospital, Interviews

Tuesday, Feb. 25: Media session, Medical exams, Position coach interviews, Psychological testing

Wednesday, Feb. 26: NFLPA Meeting, Interviews, Bench Press, Psychological Testing

Thursday, Feb. 27: Limited testing, On-field Workout

Friday, Feb. 28: Departure from Indianapolis

Group 2: (Blankenship, Thomas, Kindley, Wilson, Swift, Herrien)

Monday, Feb. 24: Arrive in Indy, Registration, Orientation, Interviews

Tuesday, Feb. 25: Measurements, Pre-exam at hospital, Interviews

Wednesday, Feb. 26: Media session, Medical exams, Position coach interviews, Psychological testing

Thursday, Feb. 27: NFLPA Meeting, Interviews, Bench Press, Psychological Testing

Friday, Feb. 28: Limited testing, On-field Workout

Saturday, Feb. 29: Departure from Indianapolis

Group 4: DB (JR Reed)

Wednesday, Feb. 26: Arrive, Registration, Orientation, Interviews

Thursday, Feb. 27: Measurements, Pre-exam at hospital, Interviews

Friday, Feb. 28: Media session, Medical exams, Position coach interviews, Psychological testing

Saturday, Feb. 29: NFLPA Meeting, Interviews, Bench Press, Psychological Testing

Sunday, March 1: Limited testing, On-field Workout

Monday, March 2: Departure from Indianapolis

PFF Analyst: Georgia’s D’Andre Swift ‘not worth a first rounder’

Georgia Bulldog running back D’Andre Swift is set to enter the 2020 NFL Draft as one of the top running backs

Georgia Bulldog running back D’Andre Swift is set to enter the 2020 NFL Draft as one of the top running backs. Will he be the first running back taken?

Swift went 18th overall in one of the latest mock drafts. He’s universally considered one of the most talented backs in the draft. Swift’s main competition to be the first back selected is Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, FSU’s Cam Akers, Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins, Utah’s Zack Moss, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire of LSU.

PFF ranks Swift as the second best running back in the NFL Draft. In fact, a PFF Analyst Jeff Ratcliffe considered a solid, but not an elite back because Swift:

Ran behind the highest graded power 5 run blocking offensive line at Georgia. He had a great situation… he was just solid and solid is not worth a first rounder.

Below is the full video on Swift:

Part of me wants to agree with PFF, but Swift faced numerous stacked boxes due to the lack of a deep passing game last season at UGA. Swift is a nightmare to tackle in the open field with his patented dead-leg juke.

Swift has impressive vision and is versatile. Swift is a better receiver than most of the backs in the 2020 NFL Draft. NFL offenses want running backs, like Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Saquon Barkley, who are mismatches in both the passing and running game. LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire and D’Andre Swift fit that mold and that’s why Swift will end up as a first round pick provided his shoulder is good to go.

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Where does UGA’s top NFL Draft rank on the ‘Big Board’?

The Georgia Bulldogs had ten NFL Combine invites this year. Where do Jake Fromm and D’Andre Swift check in on the NFL Draft’s big board?

The Georgia Bulldogs had ten NFL Combine invites this year. Expect a similar number of Dawgs to be drafted this season.

But where will Georgia’s best talent be selected? An NFL Draft ‘Big Board’ can help Bulldog fans get a better idea of when their favorite players will be picked. Our current big board rankings are according to Tankathon.

9th (overall): Offensive Tackle Andrew Thomas

28th: Running back D’Andre Swift

55th: Quarterback Jake Fromm

Oct 5, 2019; Knoxville, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm (11) during the second quarter against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

62nd: Offensive Tackle Isaiah Wilson

63rd: Offensive Guard Solomon Kindley

If the 2020 NFL Draft in Las Vegas goes according to this big board, then five Georgia Bulldogs will be selected within the first two rounds.This big board only includes the top 99.

Jake Fromm checks in as the sixth rated quarterback. D’Andre Swift is the number one ranked running back. Only one offensive tackle is rated above UGA’s Andrew Thomas (Alabama Crimson Tide lineman Jedrick Willis). Right tackle Isaiah Wilson is the seventh rated offensive tackle behind his former teammate. Lastly, Solomon Kindley is the best-rated offensive guard.

It’d be interesting if five UGA offensive players go before a single Georgia defender, especially considering the defense’s dominance in 2019. Do you think this big board gets it right?

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Ten Georgia football alumni invited to NFL Combine

The Georgia Bulldogs will be well represented at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.

The Georgia Bulldogs will be well represented at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.

Ten Dawg lettermen will attempt to turn the heads of NFL scouts and coaches across a series of drills and exercises, all conducted between February 27 and March 2 in Indianapolis.

Today, the NFL released a list of all 337 players invited. Representing the Silver Britches will be (in alphabetical order):

  • Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship
  • Wide receiver Lawrence Cager
  • Quarterback Jake Fromm
  • Running back Brian Herrien
  • Offensive lineman Solomon Kindley
  • Safety JR Reed
  • Running back D’Andre Swift
  • Offensive lineman Andrew Thomas
  • Tight end Charlie Woerner
  • Offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson

With several surprising early draft declarations, Georgia is ranked among the top three in number of prospects invited per school.

The only school that matches Georgia’s number of participants is Alabama  and the only school with more participants than both is LSU.

Good luck to every Dawg at the Combine. The Bulldog Nation is rooting for you.

Kirby Smart on importance of Georgia football’s 2020 RB signees

Georgia football HC Kirby Smart discussed the importance of bringing in two running backs in the UGA recruiting class.

After Georgia football landed college football’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class, head coach Kirby Smart spoke with the media about why he recruited each position group the way that he did.

As for the running backs, Georgia is losing starter D’Andre Swift to the NFL Draft and back-up Brian Herrien as well.

Waiting behind those two are former five-stars Zamir White and James Cook. But Georgia football coaches knew they needed to take two ball carriers in this class to reload the running back room, so they brought in 4-stars Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards.

The running back recruiting was a juicy story this recruiting cycle thanks to the drama that accompanied 5-star back Zach Evans, who Georgia eventually just passed on it sounds like.

On Wednesday, Smart discussed the significance of bringing in a second running back in this class to go with Milton.

“Getting a second back in this class was key for us. We’re excited about the young man we have, we’ve been after him for a long time, he’s come up to a lot of camps. He plays in what probably is one of the toughest divisions, regions in our state and he’s played a high level. You talk about the people he’s had to play against, he’s been a really good player, I’m talking about Daijun Edwards, and Kendall joining mid-year has been a big addition, too.”

NFL releases list of early entrants for the 2020 draft

The NFL Draft is just a few months away and the league released a list of all the early entrants, including from Georgia football.

On Tuesday, the NFL released the official number of early entrants for the 2020 draft.

Of the 115 early entrants, 99 athletes were granted special eligibility (three years removed from high school) and 16 will have graduated but have collegiate eligibility remaining.

Last year, a record 135 collegians left early for the NFL draft. Of those, nearly one-third did not hear their name called on draft day. The siren song of the NFL sometimes isn’t so sweet.

The SEC, proving once again it is the most talented and competitive conference in the nation, saw 35 players forgo their senior year. The Big Ten lost 21 early entrants, the ACC and Pac-12 each lost 13 and the Big 12 lost 8 players to the draft. Other conference and NCAA division early losses include:

  • Mountain West, 6
  • AAC, 5
  • Conference USA, 4
  • Independents, 3
  • Sun Belt, 1
  • MAC, 0
  • FCS, DII, DIII, 5

National champion LSU lost the most early entrants with 9. SEC rivals Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M were next, losing 6, 5 and 4, respectively.

Georgia  offensive tackle Andrew Thomas (junior) is widely expected to be one of the early entrants drafted in the top 10. Other Georgia early entrants include tackle Isaiah Wilson (RS soph, 2nd-3rd round), guard Solomon Kindley (RS junior, late 1st-2nd round), quarterback Jake Fromm (junior, 1st-2nd round) and running back D’Andre Swift (junior, 1st-2nd round).

The 2020 NFL Draft will be the 85th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible players. The draft is scheduled to be held from April 23–25, 2020, in Paradise, Nevada and will be televised live on ESPN.

CBS Sports’ new mock draft has the Buccaneers taking this SEC running back

Find out which star SEC running back could be on his way to the Buccaneers come the 2020 NFL Draft.

For teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who missed out on the postseason, April’s NFL draft will provide them a chance to reload on talent and find that missing piece to help get them back to the playoffs. (Well, maybe.)

While there is still plenty of time between now and April, it’s never too early to get a jump on the all-important mock drafts. It’s the one thing that keeps fans going through the offseason since, after all, it’s also never too early to get a jump on potential fantasy prospects for next season.

Which brings us to the latest 2020 mock draft, courtesy of Josh Edwards of CBS Sports. Unlike other mocks that have had the Bucs leaning towards defense again, Edwards opts for a more offensive approach for Tampa Bay, who holds the 14th pick. Edwards thinks the Bucs will take SEC running back D’Andre Swift.

Here’s what Edwards had to say:

“In an ideal world, Tampa Bay would add an offensive tackle or a cornerback. Quarterback can not be ruled out based on recent comments from Bruce Arians. All of that being considered, Swift is the best talent available.”

That would certainly be a major get for the Bucs, considering running back is still a position of need. It took until Week 17 for running back Ronald Jones to have his first-career 100-yard game for the Bucs. Jones, the former second-round pick, is still young, but Swift has playmaker written all over him. He had 1,218 rushing yards on 196 carries to go along with seven touchdowns.

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Tracking UGA football’s NFL Draft decisions

Georgia football’s QB Jake Fromm, LB Monty Rice, OL Solomon Kindley, and DL Devonte Wyatt are among the list of players considering the NFL.

It’s decision time for many of the veteran members of the Georgia Bulldogs: enter the 2020 NFL  Draft or return to Athens for another season. Each players decision is their own choice, but it is always beneficial to a program when veteran players return for another shot at the College Football Playoffs.

So far, Georgia’s right tackle Isaiah Wilson, running back D’Andre Swift, and left tackle Andrew Thomas have declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Kirby Smart and D’Andre Swift walk off the field after defeating the Texas A&M Aggies at Sanford Stadium. Swift’s last game in Athens was one of his best.  Photo courtesy of Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia’s defense is getting a boost with the returns of safety Richard LeCounte and defensive lineman Malik Herring.

College football players have until the 20th of January to determine if they wish to enter into the 2020 NFL Draft. Juniors and redshirt sophomores are the primary players contemplating their NFL decisions.

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Georgia will notably lose the following key seniors as well: kicker Rodrigo Blankenship, defensive tackle Michael Barnett, defensive lineman David Marshall, defensive lineman Tyler Clark, linebacker Tae Crowder, receiver Tyler Simmons, safety J.R. Reed, receiver Lawrence Cager, tight end Eli Wolf, tight end Charlie Woerner, and running back Brian Herrien. UGA is losing several other seniors, who didn’t play as much as this group.

Oct 5, 2019; Knoxville, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Richard LeCounte (2) celebrates with defensive back J.R. Reed (20) after intercepting a pass during the third quarter in a game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Photo Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports

The rest of UGA’s juniors and redshirt sophomores have yet to reach their decisions. Here’s the most important veteran players deciding on their NFL futures:

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