Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here’s where each Bulldog landed in ESPN’s latest NFL mock draft…
Georgia set a modern NFL draft record with 15 selections in last year’s draft.
Although the Bulldogs don’t have as big of a draft class this year, Georgia should be well represented in Kansas City.
ESPN’s latest NFL mock draft is full of Bulldogs: nine selections through seven rounds, including three in the first-round — all in the top 10.
Here’s a look at where each Bulldog landed, along with notes on top selections from ESPN’s Jordan Reid and position rankings from Draft Wire.
2 Dawgs named 2023 top-10 picks…
ESPN’s Matt Miller has released his 2023 NFL draft first round predictions and two Georgia Bulldogs have been included in the top-10 picks: Defensive tackle Jalen Carter and cornerback Kelee Ringo.
The Bulldogs just set an NFL draft record with 15 picks this spring, incluidng the No. 1 overall selection Travon Walker.
With Carter and Ringo both predicted to go top-10 by ESPN and being the No. 1 overall players at their respective positions by Pro Football Focus, the Dawgs could be in for another huge draft in 2023.
First up in Miller’s early mock draft is Carter, who is projected to go No. 3 overall to the Houston Texans.
“Some might argue for a quarterback to restart things in Houston — and we’ll have to see how second-year signal-caller Davis Mills plays after a promising first season — but it wouldn’t be a surprise for general manager Nick Caserio to give Mills more time to develop. Mills is on an inexpensive contract and has yet to play with much offensive support, and the Texans aren’t close to competing in the AFC South.”
“Carter was arguably the best prospect on Georgia’s national title team in 2021 when you talk to scouts and watch his disruptive ability as an inside or outside pass-rusher. He’s built (6-foot-3, 310 pounds) to produce from a 3-technique position and would make an instant impact in Houston.”
Next up is Ringo, who Miller expects to be taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 6 overall.
“With rookie first-round quarterback Kenny Pickett on the roster, the Steelers could look to improve in other places. Ringo had eight pass breakups and two interceptions on a loaded defense last season, and you might remember his clinching pick-six in the title game. If the 6-foot-2 corner can make plays without 10 future NFL starters around him, his coverage ability and physical traits will put him in the running for CB1 in this class.”
Miller also has Georgia transfer receiver, who is now at Alabama, projected as the No. 28 overall pick by the Detroit Lions.
Following the recent acquisitions of Trey McBride and Hollywood Brown, the Cardinals offense features a ridiculous group of playmakers.
Following a quiet free agency, many Arizona Cardinals fans were growing frustrated with the team’s lack of signings and additions. While they were able to re-sign most of their core free agents, they let two key players from last season go without replacing them, those being Chandler Jones and Christian Kirk.
In the past week, however, those sentiments have quickly changed for many. The Cardinals made a shocking trade Thursday night when they sent the 23rd overall pick for Ravens star receiver Hollywood Brown.
Perhaps an equally surprising move was their second round selection of Trey McBride, the consensus top tight end prospect from this year’s class. In a tight end room that already features Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams, it was initially shocking to see the Cardinals technically spend their first draft pick on a tight end.
Following the surprise and discontent from some fans, however, the McBride’s potential was very obviously too good to pass up. Many are comparing his game to that of 49ers’ star George Kittle.
The addition of two standout receiving threats gives the Cardinals a better group of offensive skill position players than they had in 2021, which is saying a ton considering they were the No. 1 statistical offense in the league prior to injuries to both Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins.
The wide receiver room now features Hopkins, Hollywood Brown, Rondale Moore and A.J. Green. Having Green, who had over 800 yards receiving last year (with some missed time) as WR4 illustrates the surplus of firepower general manager Steve Keim is providing the offense. Antoine Wesley, who flashed towards the end of last season, is also a notable name there.
The running back group took a hit with the loss of Chase Edmonds to Miami, but the lead man is still Pro Bowler James Conner. Third-year pro Eno Benjamin figures today to be the No. 2 back, though the team has recently looked at free agent RB Darrell Williams.
The tight end room is arguably as impressive as the receiving room, with 3x Pro-Bowler Zach Ertz leading the charge. Maxx Williams, who was playing great football prior to injury is an excellent complement in both the passing attack and run game. Both of those two should be great help to the newest member of the room in Trey McBride.
The group of skill position players is, as of right now, absurdly talented. Defenses will still focus primarily on containing Hopkins, but the plethora of other playmakers makes that so difficult to do. And if they do shift coverage away from Hop, leaving him one-on-one, that’s where the ball is going.
If the group can maintain relative health through next season, the Cardinals offense has the potential to be even better than they were prior to injuries last season.
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CBS Sports had plenty of praise for the Cardinals after they acquired Hollywood Brown from the Ravens.
The Arizona Cardinals made all the breaking news headlines Thursday night with a surprising trade for wide receiver Hollywood Brown. The trade was completely out of nowhere as the Cards had to operate with total secrecy as to not put Baltimore at a disadvantage in the draft.
There are some who believe the Cardinals gave up too much draft capital for Brown, but the general consensus is the offense is significantly better after the trade.
One of those is CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, who gave the Cardinals an A for their overall draft haul.
With Christian Kirk departing via free agency, Brown’s arrival allows the aging A.J. Green to slide back into more of a rotational role behind DeAndre Hopkins and takes pressure off Rondale Moore as the presumptive No. 3. It’s a truly sensible gamble, potentially solving a slew of issues at once. Not only are the Cards potentially placating their star QB, who’s angling for his own payday and will benefit from an additional deep threat, but they’re getting a possible long-term playmaker at a premium position.
Benjamin and others have given props to the Cards for addressing a number of issues with this trade. They filled one of the biggest needs on the team, as they were without a WR2 and lost Christian Kirk to the Jaguars. They also needed elite speed on the outside to pair with Hopkins. Very few players in the league offer the same sort of speed as Hollywood Brown.
The Cardinals also made a long term commitment to their franchise quarterback in Kyler Murray, pairing him with a strong offensive weapon who also happens to be one of his best friends.
Most media outlets have given the Cardinals a respectable grade in the B grade range, but it’s refreshing to see CBS Sports give the team high praise for their acquisition of Brown.
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The Cardinals trade for Hollywood Brown was an excellent move that immediately makes the team better
As projected, the Arizona Cardinals used their first round draft pick to acquire a wide receiver. The surprise came when the pick was traded for an established star wideout, as opposed to moving up for one of the top prospects.
The Cardinals sent pick No. 23 for Ravens’ star receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and a third rounder. They were met with optimism for the deal but also a fair amount of skepticism. Former Titans wideout A.J. Brown was traded for a similar package.
There are a few reasons for this that are going over the head of the casual twitter general managers. First, A.J. Brown wanted to play with the Eagles. That has been made clear. Second, while he has put up better stats than Hollywood to this point, the Cardinals were looking to pair elite speed with DeAndre Hopkins. The team also has two extra years of affordable control.
Oh – and the obvious. Hollywood played with Kyler Murray in college and the two were one of the most exciting duos in the country.
Sitting at pick No. 23, it was always going to be a longshot for the Cardinals to land one of the big four receiver prospects, those being Drake London, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Jameson Williams. All were gone by pick No. 12.
General manger Steve Keim mentioned in his press conference following the first round that he thought most of the prospects the team coveted would be gone by pick No. 23. This came true, with the likes of Treylon Burks, Zion Johnson and Jahan Dotson all being selected in front of them. There wasn’t a better offensive player to be had than Hollywood at pick No. 23.
Acquiring Brown (and a bonus third-round pick) immediately brings a known commodity into the offense, as opposed to taking a gamble with a college receiver.
In his final season with the Ravens, Brown had 91 receptions for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns. This is an impressive feat considering the run-heavy scheme by offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Baltimore’s star quarterback Lamar Jackson missed the last month of the season which severely hindered Brown’s opportunities to make plays.
There’s a good chance Hollywood’s production increases in Arizona. First, Kliff Kingsbury’s offense is far more receiver-friendly than that of the Ravens in terms of production. Second, opposing defenses draw most of their focus on DeAndre Hopkins. Brown will see a ton of one-on-one coverage with the safeties drawn towards D-Hop.
Last season was hands down Brown’s best. He was operating as the No. 1 receiver on the depth chart. The sky is the limit for him alongside Kyler Murray and the arsenal of offensive firepower at the Cards’ disposal.
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What grade would you give the Cardinals for this year’s NFL draft class?
The 2022 NFL draft has finally concluded, with teams now looking to add the best remaining undrafted free agents. The Cardinals drafted eight total players, but acquired nine including the trade for Hollywood Brown.
The Cards went offense early, drafting their first player in the second round in tight end Trey McBride. They followed up with back-to-back edge rushers in hopes that at least one can help fill the void from Chandler Jones’ departure.
For the sake of this poll, we’re including Brown as part of the draft class since he was essentially their first round pick.
Here’s a look at the entire Cardinals draft class with that in mind:
Round 2- TE Trey McBride, Colorado
Round 3 – DE Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
Round 3 – DE Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
Round 6 – RB Keontay Ingram, Southern California
Round 6 – OG Lecitus Smith, Virginia
Round 7 – CB Christian Matthew, Valdosta State
Round 7- LB Jesse Luketa, Penn State
Round 7 – OL Marquis Hayes, Oklahoma
[polldaddy poll=11105488]
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Jamaree Salyer is a Charger!
Georgia offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer was selected in the sixth round with the No. 195 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Chargers.
That extends the program record to 13 draft picks in one draft.
BIG DAWWWWWG
nice, @jamareesalyer69 pic.twitter.com/Pw60o8j8rD
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) April 30, 2022
The Atlanta native anchored the Georgia offensive line for 47 games in Athens jc.
The All-SEC second team selection had his best season in a national title year, shutting down Alabama star LB Will Anderson Jr. in the championship game.
Salyer’s versatility as a lineman who’s played multiple positions along the front will make him a steady pro.
Here’s a look at the remaining draft picks for the Cardinals and what they might do with those picks.
The NFL draft will begin its third and final day Saturday at noon ET (9 a.m. Arizona time). The Arizona Cardinals, who have traded many of their Day 3 picks in recent trades, do not have a lot of draft capital left.
The Cards sent this year’s fourth-round pick in a trade up for cornerback Marco Wilson last year. They also packaged their fifth-round pick in their midseason acquisition of tight end Zach Ertz. While the team certainly doesn’t regret losing those picks to acquire two starters, they are likely going to be limited on what they can do on day three.
So far, the Cardinals have added two playmakers in Marquise Brown and Trey McBride. They added two edge rushers in the third round, with the hope that at least one of them can help fill the void from the loss of Chandler Jones to the Raiders.
The team would be wise to look into adding to the cornerback room. It was a point of weakness down the stretch last season, and while they’ve added former first-rounder Jeff Gladney, they would be wise to add another young defensive back.
Another position to take a swing on with those late picks would be the offensive line. Four of the five positions are set as of now but right guard certainly remains a mystery. Throwing another draft pick into the mix would be good for competition come training camp.
With that in mind, here are the remaining draft picks the Cardinals have going into day three:
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The Eagles just drafted the steal of the draft…
Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean was selected with the No. 83 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
With the 83rd pick in the 2022 #NFLDraft, the Philadelphia Eagles select LB Nakobe Dean.@LifeBrand_AI | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/4JsS1ETHgm
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 30, 2022
It is absolutely incredible that the 2021 Butkus Award Winner,
All-America First Team, captain of the 2021 AFCA Good Works Team and SEC Defensive Player of the Year by Pro Football Focus was still on the board to this point.
Rumors are swirling that Dean has a pectoral injury that has created a red flag.
The fact is that Dean has never missed a game at Georgia.
Dean finished the 2021 season with 72 total tackles, led the Bulldogs in tackles for loss with 10.5 and was second on team in sacks (6.0). He also finished with 31 pressures and six pass breakups, while finishing second on team with two interceptions
Here’s when James Cook found out he was a Bill…
Georgia running back James Cook was selected with the No. 63 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills.
Watch Cook get the news live:
"Good luck guys!"
The @Bills just got a good one in @thegreat__4!
Tune-in to the 2022 #NFLDraft – April 28-30 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC#NFLDraft | #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/B0z4kUztpA
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) April 30, 2022
Cook emerged as a weapon in UGA’s national championship season as a runner and a pass catcher.
The Florida native and brother of Minnesota Vikings running back had big performances in the playoff semifinal and national title game for the Dawgs.
The Florida native is the brother of Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook.
James is the seventh Bulldog taken so far and the second tonight after George Pickens went to the Pittsburg Steelers with the No. 52 pick.
