Chase Young skipping on-field drills at combine

Ohio State DE Chase Young is skipping on-field drills at the NFL combine this week He will do interviews and medical testing but will wait to go through drills his pro day Young is projecrted to be one of the first few players selected in this year’s draft, going as high as No. 2 to Washington

Ohio State DE Chase Young is skipping on-field drills at the NFL combine this week He will do interviews and medical testing but will wait to go through drills his pro day Young is projecrted to be one of the first few players selected in this year’s draft, going as high as No. 2 to Washington

USA TODAY releases scouting report for Georgia football RB D’Andre Swift

Swift’s footwork and balance given his bulky build have NFL scouts intrigued.

Former Georgia tailback D’Andre Swift is one of ten Bulldogs invited to Indianapolis to perform skills assessments before a mass of professional football scouts.

USA TODAY’s DraftWire has provided a plethora of pre-NFL Draft analyses leading up to this month’s NFL Scouting Combine. The latest from Patrick Conn provides a favorable projection for invitee D’Andre Swift.

“Swift is likely the top rated running back on most draft boards and could be the first one selected in the NFL Draft. Based on how he plays the game, Swift has future New England Patriot written all over him (well, if they didn’t already have former teammate Sony Michel).”

The analysis points out how Swift’s speed is rare given his muscular build, shorter-than-average height, and the resultant low center of gravity.

Swift’s footwork and balance given his bulky build have NFL scouts intrigued. He’s a ball carrier who requires a full-effort tackle to down. He is also fully capable of jumping clean over defenders quite a bit larger than he.

No shoulder-to-shoulder. No shoestrings. No arm tackles.

In other words, D’Andre Swift is too jacked, too swole, too yolked to have any sort of right being as, uh, swift as he is. That’s because the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

However, the projector does bring up a possible criticism:

“As with any running back in the class, Swift will need to focus on his pass protecting technique at the NFL level…Durability is going to be a concern, not just on the injury front. At Georgia he never had more than 220 touches on offense, so a heavier workload will be a concern moving forward.”

The analyst conservatively assess Swift as a top 50 pick and compares his comprehensive run, catch, block capabilities to Christian McCaffrey.

USA TODAY ranks top LB’s ahead of NFL Draft: Is Tae Crowder too low?

According to USA TODAY’s Draft Wire, Georgia’s Tae Crowder ranks just inside the top twenty in a list of NFL Draft prospects.

According to USA TODAY’s Draft Wire, Georgia alum Tae Crowder ranks just inside the top twenty in a list of NFL Draft prospects at linebacker.

It is important to note that these are preliminary rankings based entirely upon collegiate performance. Such rankings are subject to change following pre-draft workouts including the NFL Combine and each school’s respective Pro Days.

That said, dear reader, Tae Crowder is an unsung hero and one of my personal favorite Georgia Bulldogs.

It’s partially due to his play, but chiefly because of his backward football background:

Crowder was a last-minute addition to the Dawgs’ 2015 signing class, receiving his scholarship offer the morning before National Signing Day. He hadn’t taken an official visit. He spent no time in personal meetings with Georgia coaches.

Yet, he committed on the spot.

“It was always my dream to play at the University of Georgia,” Crowder told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2015.

This year, he graduates as one of the very last prospects recruited by Mark Richt, who left his post as top Dawg following the 2015 college football season.

As Harris County’s offensive player of the year during his senior season, Crowder came to Athens as a dual receiver and running back.

He was quickly moved to inside linebacker, and, after redshirting his first year in Athens, spent another year fine-tuning his linebacking skills before spending three years starting, recording 122 tackles, and grabbing two takeaways along the way(s).

Does this one ring a bell? It certainly rung the referee’s bell.

Crowder was not invited to the NFL Combine. Only one former Bulldog defender of the ten total was summoned to Indianapolis.

Given his history of adaptation, I think Tae will do just fine.

 

Three Georgia Bulldogs go in first round of 2020 NFL mock draft

Three Georgia Bulldogs go in the first round of the 2020 NFL Mock Draft : D’Andre Swift, Solomon Kindley, and Andrew Thomas .

Three Georgia Bulldogs went in the first round of USAToday’s 2020 NFL Mock Draft. The mock draft is for the first four rounds of the draft. UGA’s D’Andre Swift, Solomon Kindley, and Andrew Thomas all went in the first round.

4. New York Giants: Andrew Thomas, left tackle

Nov 30, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Andrew Thomas (71) prior to the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

27. Seattle Seahawks: Solomon Kindley, left guard

Dec 1, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Solomon Kindley (66) blocks against Alabama Crimson Tide defensive linemen in the SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.  Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

28. Baltimore Ravens: D’Andre Swift, running back

Nov 18, 2017; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back D’Andre Swift (7) straight arms Kentucky Wildcats safety Darius West (25) during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

46. Denver Broncos: Isaiah Wilson, right tackle

Dec 1, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson (79) and Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) at the line of scrimmage during the first quarter in the SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

91. Oakland Raiders: Jake Fromm, quarterback

Jan 1, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm (11) throws as Baylor Bears linebacker Blake Lynch (2) pressures during the first quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

110. New York Jets: Ben Cleveland, offensive line

 

Apr 16, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard Ben Cleveland (74) during the Dawg Walk before the spring game at Sanford Stadium. Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

With six Georgia Bulldogs going in the first four rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, it’d be a great showing for Kirby Smart and all of the talented players he’s coached. The biggest question mark of this mock draft is Ben Cleveland, who may or may not be returning to school. Cleveland was academically ineligible for the 2020 Sugar Bowl.

Solomon Kindley going in the first round is another big surprise. Kindley played excellent as a sophomore, but battled some injury issues this season. The Seahawks are known to be unconventional in the first round and need offensive line help.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

 

RB Travis Etienne returning to Clemson for senior season

RB Travis Etienne is returning to Clemson for his senior year, foregoing the 2020 NFL Draft This is a huge shock considering Etienne had a chance to go in the first round Last season, Etienne rushed for 1,614 yards on 207 carries with 24 touchdowns and 432 yards receiving

RB Travis Etienne is returning to Clemson for his senior year, foregoing the 2020 NFL Draft This is a huge shock considering Etienne had a chance to go in the first round Last season, Etienne rushed for 1,614 yards on 207 carries with 24 touchdowns and 432 yards receiving

RB Travis Etienne returning to Clemson for senior season

RB Travis Etienne is returning to Clemson for his senior year, foregoing the 2020 NFL Draft This is a huge shock considering Etienne had a chance to go in the first round Last season, Etienne rushed for 1,614 yards on 207 carries with 24 touchdowns and 432 yards receiving

RB Travis Etienne is returning to Clemson for his senior year, foregoing the 2020 NFL Draft This is a huge shock considering Etienne had a chance to go in the first round Last season, Etienne rushed for 1,614 yards on 207 carries with 24 touchdowns and 432 yards receiving

Iowa EDGE A.J. Epenesa declares for 2020 NFL Draft

Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa has decided to forego his remaining eligibility and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. He announced his decision via his Instagram account. Plenty of teams could benefit from adding Epenesa’s game-breaking ability to their defense. He is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the counry. He should be a lock to hear his name called among the top 15 picks. Epenesa tallied 49 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles in 13 games during 2019.

Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa has decided to forego his remaining eligibility and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. He announced his decision via his Instagram account. Plenty of teams could benefit from adding Epenesa’s game-breaking ability to their defense. He is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the counry. He should be a lock to hear his name called among the top 15 picks. Epenesa tallied 49 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles in 13 games during 2019.

Iowa EDGE A.J. Epenesa declares for 2020 NFL Draft

Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa has decided to forego his remaining eligibility and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. He announced his decision via his Instagram account. Plenty of teams could benefit from adding Epenesa’s game-breaking ability to their defense. He is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the counry. He should be a lock to hear his name called among the top 15 picks. Epenesa tallied 49 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles in 13 games during 2019.

Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa has decided to forego his remaining eligibility and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. He announced his decision via his Instagram account. Plenty of teams could benefit from adding Epenesa’s game-breaking ability to their defense. He is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the counry. He should be a lock to hear his name called among the top 15 picks. Epenesa tallied 49 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles in 13 games during 2019.

Alabama WR Henry Ruggs III declares for 2020 NFL Draft

Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III has decided to forego his remaining eligibility and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. He announced his decision in the form of a written piece for The Players Tribune. Plenty of teams could benefit from adding Ruggs’ game-breaking speed to their wide receiver room He is widely regarded as one of the top receiver prospects in what appears to be a deep class. He should be a lock to hear his name called among the top 20 picks. During his junior campaign, Ruggs tallied 42 touches (40 receptions) for 821 yards and 8 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide

Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III has decided to forego his remaining eligibility and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. He announced his decision in the form of a written piece for The Players Tribune. Plenty of teams could benefit from adding Ruggs’ game-breaking speed to their wide receiver room He is widely regarded as one of the top receiver prospects in what appears to be a deep class. He should be a lock to hear his name called among the top 20 picks. During his junior campaign, Ruggs tallied 42 touches (40 receptions) for 821 yards and 8 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide

Alabama WR Henry Ruggs III declares for 2020 NFL Draft

Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III has decided to forego his remaining eligibility and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. He announced his decision in the form of a written piece for The Players Tribune. Plenty of teams could benefit from adding Ruggs’ game-breaking speed to their wide receiver room He is widely regarded as one of the top receiver prospects in what appears to be a deep class. He should be a lock to hear his name called among the top 20 picks. During his junior campaign, Ruggs tallied 42 touches (40 receptions) for 821 yards and 8 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide

Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III has decided to forego his remaining eligibility and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. He announced his decision in the form of a written piece for The Players Tribune. Plenty of teams could benefit from adding Ruggs’ game-breaking speed to their wide receiver room He is widely regarded as one of the top receiver prospects in what appears to be a deep class. He should be a lock to hear his name called among the top 20 picks. During his junior campaign, Ruggs tallied 42 touches (40 receptions) for 821 yards and 8 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide