Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
How many Georgia Bulldogs will go in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft?
Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs keep churning out NFL talent. Georgia is a contender to make the College Football Playoff, once again, thanks to an immense amount of talent.
Georgia is coming off a record-breaking 2022 NFL draft. The Dawgs will look to put more talent in the NFL after the 2022 college football season.
What five Georgia Bulldogs does The Draft Wire think will be selected in the first two rounds of the 2023 NFL draft?
Where does NFL draft expert Todd McShay put six Georgia Bulldogs and two UGA transfers in his 2023 NFL draft rankings?
ESPN NFL draft expert Todd McShay has released his 2023 NFL draft rankings ahead of the upcoming college football season. Only the Alabama Crimson Tide (seven) had more players in the top 50 than Georgia (six).
McShay emphasizes that it is early in the NFL draft process and there is still a lot of time before the draft. Last year, McShay did not consider Travon Walker as a first round prospect ahead of the season. That’s an example of how one season can help a draft prospect rise in the eyes of NFL scouts. What happens on the field between now and January matters.
Let’s jump in and see all six of Georgia players that Todd McShay ranks in the top 50 plus two players who transferred from the University of Georgia.
Georgia Bulldogs defensive end Travon Walker has risen up NFL draft boards throughout the predraft process. Why chatter of him going No. 1 has some merit.
Georgia Bulldogs defensive end Travon Walker has risen on NFL draft boards throughout the predraft process. Walker has shown impressive mobility, versatility and athleticism.
Walker dominated the NFL combine and has arguably the best physical traits of any defensive end in the draft. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound defensive end was not often asked to directly rush the passer during his Georgia career. Many times, Walker’s focus would be on stopping the run or containing the opposing quarterback.
Walker recorded 6 sacks and 37 total tackles in 2021, so how can he be in contention for the top pick of the 2022 NFL draft?
Walker’s physical traits and effort are off the charts. His statistics are a bit underwhelming for a top pick, but keep in mind Walker was a part of a loaded defense that did not pad counting stats because it got off the field. Walker is strong against the run and is a true three-down player. He was a part of the No. 1 run defense in 2019 and 2020 and the No. 2 run defense in 2021.
Additionally, the team with the No. 1 overall pick, the Jacksonville Jaguars, has a general manager, Trent Baalke, with a history of picking pass rushers with a specific set of physical traits.
NFL Network’s Peter Schrager went into depth on Baalke’s history of selecting pass rushers with incredible physical traits such as Aldon Smith, Arik Armstead and Deforest Buckner.
"Everyone's inking Aidan Hutchinson to the @Jaguars. Around the NFL, there's talk about GM Trent Baalke, and his draft history with SF. Year after year, the 49ers took players with incredible physical traits over the top collegiate performers. That's Travon Walker." — @PSchrags pic.twitter.com/WbxFkH6W9B
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) April 11, 2022
Arik Armstead recorded 4 sacks in his three-season career, but his outstanding physical traits and potential was enough for Baalke and the San Francisco 49ers to select him with the No. 17 pick of the 2015 NFL draft.
Deforest Buckner recorded 7.5 sacks in the first three seasons of his college football career. Buckner improved statistically his senior year. Travon Walker is NFL ready and is not returning for his senior year. Baalke and the 49ers picked Buckner No. 7 overall in the 2016 NFL draft.
Lastly, Aldon Smith recorded 3 sacks in his final season at Missouri. San Francisco and Baalke picked Smith with the No. 7 pick in the 2011 NFL draft.
This trio of high-potential pass rushers is a clear example of why Travon Walker going to general manager Baalke and the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 1 is a serious possibility.
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The Georgia Bulldogs are losing a pair of key interior linemen to the 2022 NFL draft.
The Georgia Bulldogs are losing a pair of key interior linemen to the 2022 NFL draft. Georgia will reload for the 2022 college football season.
Georgia returns a lot of talent like Christopher Smith, Tykee Smith, and Nolan Smith.
Both of these players are participating in the 2022 Senior Bowl, so their NFL draft decisions come as no surprise:
Georgia Bulldogs safety Lewis Cine will enter the 2022 NFL draft.
Georgia Bulldogs safety Lewis Cine will enter the 2022 NFL draft. Cine was named defensive MVP of the College Football Playoff national championship game.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior out of Cedar Hill, Texas, finishes his Georgia career with 145 total tackles, two interceptions, and 16 pass deflections. Cine has started at safety for Georgia since 2020.
The former four-star safety recruit is a physical tackler, big-hitter, and is good in coverage. Cine has been a key piece of some of the best defenses in the nation throughout his career with the Bulldogs.
Cine thanked Georgia Bulldog fans, coaches, players, and more upon announcing his intentions to enter the NFL draft via Twitter:
ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴀ ᴅᴀᴡɢ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴀ ᴅᴀᴡɢ ✌🏾 pic.twitter.com/YEhBS6hPJV
— ⱠɆ₩ł₴ ₵ł₦Ɇ (@LewisCine) January 14, 2022
Georgia safety Christopher Smith is returning, so that will give the Bulldogs some continuity at the safety position.
Lewis Cine’s presence will be missed. Cine helped UGA have the No. 13 pass defense in the country. Cine is projected to be a late second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft. He’s got what it takes to play at the NFL level.
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The Jacksonville Jaguars selected former Georgia Bulldogs cornerback Tyson Campbell with the No. 33 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected former Georgia Bulldogs cornerback Tyson Campbell with the No. 33 pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Campbell’s selection addressed an area of need for the Jaguars and gives them a player with an incredibly high ceiling.
Campbell will be one of the most athletic defensive backs in the NFL as a rookie. The former Georgia star will look to refine his technique to succeed at the NFL level. Campbell has the ability to start in Jacksonville’s season-opener.
Here’s how NFL.com profiled Campbell’s strengths and weaknesses before the NFL draft:
Outside cornerback with undeniable physical traits and athletic tools. Smooth hips and agile feet guide him around the field, but he doesn’t always trust his footwork and overall technique, which leads to occasional bouts with imbalance in coverage. Length and quick-twitch agility could lead to robust improvement and success in man coverage. Poise and confidence in matching routes and playing deep throws are the first order of business and those areas might take a couple of seasons to fine-tune. Campbell’s traits outweigh the lack of polish and could lead to a solid NFL career.
NFL.com compared Campbell to Cincinnati Bengals cornerback William Jackson III. Jackson III has incredible closing speed and athleticism. The Bengals cornerback has started 48 NFL games in his four season professional career. Jackson III has three career interceptions and 41 career pass deflections.
Campbell will look to polish his game and have a solid NFL career like Jackson III. Both players have yet to reach their ceilings. If Campbell can improve his footwork and improve at locating the football, then he may end up having a special NFL career.
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Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer denounced the Georgia Bulldogs on his draft call with sixth round pick Jalen Camp (Georgia Tech)
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer fondly remembers his experience as a college coach and will use it to help guide him in the NFL. Meyer won championships as he notably coached for the Florida Gators and Ohio State Buckeyes in college.
Now, the NFL will present a new challenge. Urban Meyer just finished his first career NFL draft. He ended up selecting several players he recruited back when he was the coach at Ohio State.
On his draft call with sixth-round pick Jalen Camp, Urban Meyer wasted no time denouncing the Georgia Bulldogs. Meyer and Jalen Camp, who was a wide receiver at Georgia Tech, share a common rival from their days in college football: Georgia.
"To hell with Georgia, right?"
Watch @CoachUrbanMeyer's call with WR @JalenCamp__. 📱@BOSE | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/5skOO5h5I4
— #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) May 1, 2021
Urban Meyer has several family connections to Georgia Tech to strengthen his distaste for Georgia.
Interestingly, Jalen Camp will practice against former Georgia defensive back Tyson Campbell. The Jaguars drafted Campbell with the first pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft.
In fact, Tyson Campbell has scored more touchdowns in the Georgia-Georgia Tech rivalry than Jalen Camp despite playing defense. Yellow Jacket fans may remember this one if they were still watching:
TOUCHDOWN!!!!
Tyson Campbell (@tysoncampbell_)😁 pic.twitter.com/AairGjpD5t
— OO (@_OOLLIE_) November 30, 2019
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The Cleveland Browns selected former Georgia Bulldogs safety Richard LeCounte in the fifth round and Twitter reacted
The Cleveland Browns selected former Georgia Bulldogs safety Richard LeCounte in the fifth round with the 169th pick. LeCounte is one of the most productive defensive backs in Georgia football history.
Richard LeCounte is a playmaker on defense. The Browns are getting a big-hitter who causes a lot of turnovers. In fact, LeCounte forced a dozen turnovers over his final three seasons at the University of Georgia.
LeCounte was involved in a motorcycle accident that kept him out for the latter part of 2020 season and caused him to fall in the 2021 NFL draft. Now, the former five-star recruit out of Liberty County High School will look to continue his recovery and prepare for the 2021 NFL season.
The Cleveland Browns are getting a steal in LeCounte. Browns fans have a lot to look forward to for the upcoming season.
Here’s how social media reacted as the Cleveland Browns drafted Richard LeCounte:
Welcome to Cleveland, Richard LeCounte III!#BrownsDraft pic.twitter.com/cqTja2Flvw
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 1, 2021
Dawg 4 Life 🐶
2017 All-American Richard LeCounte III (@LilEasy_35) has been selected by the @Browns #NFLDraft#BrownsDraft#AllAmericanBowl 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/qz474Ena6l
— All-American Bowl (@AABonNBC) May 1, 2021
RICHARD LECOUNTE CLEVELAND BROWNS🙌🏽⚫️🔴
— 🚫🔑LEE Ring0️⃣ (@HBTFD1) May 1, 2021
#Browns bet on the play speed, not the 40 time.
Good spot for Richard LeCounte!#NFLDraft2021
— Brent Rollins (@PFF_Brent) May 1, 2021
Richard LeCounte is just an awesome football player. Traffic accident and resulting injuries impacted his draft stock but if he can get back to 100 percent, Cleveland just got a steal. He was the best defensive player in the SEC when healthy last year.
— Connor Riley (@Kconnorriley) May 1, 2021
Richard LeCounte is heading to Cleveland! Congrats to a Damn Good Dawg 🙌 #NFLDraft #BrownsDraft pic.twitter.com/q8MZrHpeQG
— The Dawg Feed (@DawgFeed_UGA) May 1, 2021
Richard LeCounte is one of the best steals in this whole draft. He is absolutely NOT a 4.8 guy on tape. Different kind of dude with pads on. Browns don't even need him, but he's just too good to pass up.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) May 1, 2021
New #Browns safety Richard LeCounte said RB Nick Chubb took him under his wing when LeCounte was "knucklehead" freshman at Georgia. Now they're teammates again
— Nate Ulrich (@ByNateUlrich) May 1, 2021
#Browns Richard LeCounte: "I'm ready to learn, I'm ready to work, I'm ready to get to it."
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) May 1, 2021
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Former Georgia Bulldogs and Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman has gone undrafted in the 2021 NFL draft
Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jamie Newman has gone undrafted in the 2021 NFL draft. Newman transferred to the University of Georgia from Wake Forest following the 2019 college football season.
Newman came to Georgia and practiced, but he opted out of the 2020 college football season due to COVID-19 concerns and to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft. Newman’s decision left Georgia without an established starting quarterback.
The Dawgs opened the season with D’Wan Mathis as the starting quarterback. Georgia quickly turned to Stetson Bennett, and then started JT Daniels when he became healthy.
Now, Newman will try to find a home as an undrafted free agent. He will get to pick his destination, which will be beneficial, but this is not what Newman envisioned when he opted out to prepare for the NFL draft.
Newman participated in the 2021 Senior Bowl, but he was not particularly impressive in the NFL scouting event. Newman will have to try to improve his game and faces a difficult path to playing time in the always competitive NFL.
Since Newman went undrafted, many folks will further question his decision to opt-out. Newman was not a finished product at Wake Forest and it is apparent that NFL scouts did not like what they saw in his 2019 tape.
Georgia fans should wish the best for Newman. He came into an unfortunate set of circumstances that he could not have anticipated. After all, he did not know there would be a global pandemic when he decided to transfer to Georgia.
Newman is signing with the Philadelphia Eagles per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero:
Former Wake Forest and Georgia QB Jamie Newman is signing with the #Eagles, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 1, 2021
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The Georgia Bulldogs recorded the second most players (6) of any school during the first two days of the 2021 NFL draft.
The Georgia Bulldogs recorded the second most players (six) of any school during the first two days of the 2021 NFL draft. Only the Alabama Crimson Tide had more players (eight) picked during the draft’s first three rounds.
Ohio State additionally had six players selected in the first two days of the NFL draft.
Kirby Smart and the University of Georgia are likely going to break a school record for the most players drafted in any NFL draft. Georgia’s current school record is eight players selected (2002 and 2013).
Georgia still has talented players left on the draft board like:
Four of Georgia’s top available prospects helped Georgia have one of the top defenses in the country last season and in 2019. Richard LeCounte has fallen due to medical concerns.
Eric Stokes, Tyson Campbell, Azeez Ojulari, and Monty Rice make up Georgia’s four defenders who have already been drafted through the first two days of the NFL draft. On the offensive side of the football, tight end Tre’ McKitty and offensive lineman Ben Cleveland were selected.
Overall, it is another successful NFL draft for head coach Kirby Smart. Smart has had 26 players drafted since 2018 with one day remaining in the 2021 NFL draft.
Georgia has had a first round selection in four consecutive NFL drafts. Only Ohio State (six) and Alabama (13) have longer streaks. The Dawgs are producing an impressive amount of NFL talent and that is not going to stop any time soon.
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