Analyst Chris Trapasso projects the New York Jets to take Thomas with the No. 11 overall pick in the NFL Draft, which is currently scheduled for April 23 in Las Vegas.
On Thomas, Trapasso wrote:
Jets GM Joe Douglas knows how vital an offensive line is after his time in Philadelphia. Thomas was outstanding the two seasons at Georgia and has length for days.
Trapasso has Thomas ranked as the 15th overall player in the draft class and 4th ranked offensive tackle.
In total, Trapasso has seven Georgia players going in the draft.
University of Georgia football standouts Jake Fromm, D’Andre Swift, Andrew Thomas, and more find new homes in this CBS NFL mock draft.
The Georgia Bulldogs sent ten players to the 2020 NFL Combine. Will all of them get drafted? Probably not. Regardless, each former University of Georgia standout will get a shot to make an NFL roster.
According to CBS’s seven round NFL mock draft, seven Georgia Bulldogs will be selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. Looking at UGA’s recent draft history under head coach Kirby Smart, seven selections in right in line with what Georgia did in 2019’s seven draft picks and 2018’s six picks.
Georgia’s recent NFL Draft success is an uptick from the 2017 NFL Draft, where Isaiah McKenzie was the only Bulldog selected. So where are Georgia’s players projected to go in 2020?
First Round
11th Overall Selection: New York Jets
Offensive Tackle Andrew Thomas– Thomas is rated as the 15th overall player in the 2020 NFL Draft. He’s ranked behind three other tackles.
Second Round
61st Overall Selection: Tennessee Titans
Offensive Tackle Isaiah Wilson– Wilson has the size to compete with the best in the NFL. He’d be joining one of the elite NFL offensive fronts in Nashville. Georgia great Ben Jones leads the Tennessee line from the center position.
December 8, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Tennessee Titans center Ben Jones (60) during the first quarter against the Oakland Raiders at Oakland Coliseum. Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
63rd Overall Selection: Kansas City Chiefs
Running Back D’Andre Swift– The defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs reunite Swift with his former UGA teammate Mecole Hardman. This would be an ideal situation for Swift.
With so many starting spots available, who will offensive line coach Matt Luke turn to during his inaugural season in Athens?
Following the departure of former offensive line coach Sam Pittman, the new head coach at the University of Arkansas, multiple Bulldogs he recruited to the University of Georgia followed suit.
Tackle Isaiah Wilson, a redshirt sophomore, declared early for the NFL Draft. Fellow tackle and projected first round pick Andrew Thomas did as well following his junior season. Relatively surprisingly, guard Solomon Kindley made the same decision despite qualifying for a redshirt senior season.
Cade Mays, the first Georgia Bulldog since Jonas Jennings to play all five OL positions in red and black, transferred to Tennessee to play with his younger brother in Knoxville for their father’s alma mater.
Center Trey Hill and guard/tackle Ben Cleveland are the only holdovers to start on the Bulldogs’ offensive line. Both players are entering their final season of eligibility.
With so many starting spots available, who will offensive line coach Matt Luke turn to during his inaugural season in Athens?
Xavier Truss:
Assuming Ben Cleveland gets early reps at right tackle (if not right guard), the left tackle spot will be wide open and thus attainable for the redshirt freshman Truss. At six-foot-seven and 330 pounds, he’s got the length and mass necessary to protect right-handed grad transfer QB Jamie Newman’s blindside. Combine that with the motor and footwork necessary to facilitate outside run plays and he may just be the Dawgs’ best fit at LT.
Warren Ericson:
Following injuries and the several aforementioned early NFL Draft declarations, Ericson started at right guard in January’s Sugar Bowl win over Baylor. In 2020, the redshirt sophomore may have to rotate behind seniors Cleveland and Justin Shaffer at either of the guard positions, but can put himself in a good position to secure solid substitute reps before Cleveland and Shaffer exhaust their eligibility. Matt Luke clearly sees something in Ericson.
Warren McClendon:
The younger of the OL’s two Warrens, McClendon shares with Ericson ample opportunity to break into the starting lineup. With both tackle spots ripe for the taking, McClendon can compete with Truss at left tackle, but seems more suited for right tackle as his size. The cousin of former Georgia running back Bryan McClendon saw limited action in 2019 but has the skills and build to impose his will upon SEC defenders in 2020.
Justin Shaffer:
Shaffer has patiently waited his turn to start on the Bulldogs’ offensive line, and an untimely injury extended that timeline. He made his first career start against Tennessee and started every play of the game. In his start against South Carolina, a neck injury sidelined Shaffer for the remainder of the regular season. After having fully recovered from his injury, he’s deserved his time to show out in the trenches for the Dawgs and is expected to be a mainstay on Georgia’s 2020 offensive line.
Georgia football offensive guard Solomon Kindley has advice for his former UGA teammates while at the NFL Combine.
Georgia offensive guard Solomon Kindley is in Indianapolis this week for the NFL Combine.
Viewed anywhere from a first to third round draft pick, Kindley is meeting with teams, undergoing body measurements and eventually will partake in on-field drills.
Kindley said he has already met with the Packers and Patriots and has plans to meet with the Falcons and the Chiefs.
Since 2017, he started 10 games at right guard and 26 at left guard. He left Georgia with one year of eligibility remaining, and during an interview at the combine he mentioned that he misses Athens and his teammates back in Georgia.
“I’m not going to lie, I miss my teammates,” Kindley said. “I miss my little brothers. I miss them UGA Dawgs.”
When asked what he missed most about Kirby Smart, Kindley noted that it was Kirby’s drive and constant motivation that he has missed the most.
He also went on to give advice to the younger Bulldogs in Athens.
“Take it all in. Just soak it all up because it feels like I had just got there and now I’m here already. Don’t waste no time. The time is short at Georgia. Everything you do, you gotta pay attention to.”
Former Georgia football OT Solomon Kindley says he has meetings with multiple NFL teams, including a potential one with the Atlanta Falcons.
Could the Atlanta Falcons finally snap the streak of refusing to select former Georgia payers in the NFL Draft?
This year could be the year, especially with the high volume of Georgia players in the draft. Is it possible that the Falcons will be left no choice but to draft a former Bulldog?
Solomon Kindley, Georgia’s offensive guard who is viewed as a 1-3 round draft pick, said that he believes he has a formal interview with the Falcons this week.
He also added that he has met with the Packers and Patriots, and also thinks he has a meeting with the Chiefs coming up.
Kindley to the Falcons would excite Georgia fans, and it would surely excite Kindley, who would stay close to home. Kindley grew up in Jacksonville, Florida.
#UGA OL Solomon Kindley says he thinks he has a formal with the #Falcons.
And then there’s the Chiefs, who Kindley also said he believes he has a meeting with this week. Kindley, if taken by Kansas City, would pair up with speedster Mecole Hardman on the Super Bowl champs.
But the possibility that excites me the most is Kindley to the Patriots. The two parties have already met at the NFL Combine, and it’s a known fact that Pats head coach Bill Belichick is a big fan of drafting Dawgs.
If Kindley does wind up in New England, he would join an offensive line that already features two Georgia guys — David Andrews and Isaiah Wynn. Additionally, he would join his fellow Dawgs in blocking for another Georgia boy, running back Sony Michel.
Georgia Bulldogs guard Solomon Kindley says he had a good meeting with the #Patriots and Dante Scarnecchia here at the NFL Combine. They like that he’s a “mauler” as a blocker.
NFL Combine measurement results for every Georgia football.
This week, a number of former Georgia players are in Indianapolis for the 2020 NFL Combine, where they will be partaking in measurements, on-field workouts, team interviews and medical examinations.
So far, every player minus J.R. Reed has gone through the measurement portion of the week, and we have all results listed for you below.
Here is this week’s schedule for Georgia’s 10 players in attendance.
(Note, Georgia has no players in group 3 — Just 1, 2 and 4.)
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
Sunday, March 1: Limited testing, On-field Workout
Monday, March 2: Departure from Indianapolis
Here are the measurement results from the nine players so far:
Jake Fromm
Jan 6, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm (11) speaks during media day at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Georgia’s Jake Fromm has received his 2020 NFL Combine measurements. Fromm’s hand size, which is under nine inches, is somewhat concerning. Nine inches is considered the minimum hand size for an NFL quarterback.
Here’s how both Jake Fromm and Washington Huskies QB Jacob Eason measured at the combine:
Ultimately, hand size doesn’t have much correlation with cold weather performance and fumbles, so it shouldn’t drop Fromm too far. That being said, Fromm doesn’t have the measurables of the other elite quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
LSU’s Joe Burrow did have nine inch hands as well. He’ll still be the first pick of the NFL Draft. One-eighth of an inch shouldn’t make too much of a difference for UGA’s Jake Fromm.
Georgia football offensive guard Solomon Kindley NFL Combine measurements.
On Tuesday, Georgia football offensive guard Solomon Kindley began his week at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, where he underwent measurements, medical exams and partook in interviews.
Kindley is viewed as mid-round draft pick, likely somewhere in the third or fourth round.
In Indy, he measured in at 6-foot-3 and 1/4 inches tall and weighed in at 337 pounds.
Since 2017, Kindley started 10 games at right guard and 26 at left guard.
Kindley left Georgia with one year of eligibility remaining.
Georgia Bulldogs left guard Solomon Kindley is rated as one of the top guards in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Georgia Bulldogs left guard Solomon Kindley is rated as one of the top guards in the 2020 NFL Draft. Kindley has been compared to a former Arkansas Razorback ahead of the NFL Draft.
NFL.com compares Kindley to former Oakland Raider guard Denver Kirkland. Georgia Bulldog fans may recognize Kirkland from his days with the Arkansas Razorbacks in the SEC:
Nov 22, 2014; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks offensive lineman Denver Kirkland (55) during the game against the Ole Miss Rebels at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas defeated Mississippi 30-0. Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Who is Denver Kirkland?
Denver Kirkland was undrafted during the 2016 NFL Draft. He played several games for the Oakland Raiders during his rookie season, but ended up on IR during his second season. Following his injury, he spent time between Oakland and Arizona’s practice squads.
Georgia Bulldogs fans should expect for Kindley to find more success at the NFL level than Kirkland. For one thing, Kindley is projected to go much higher than Kirkland, who went undrafted.
Kirkland is 6-4 and weighs 340 pounds, which matches the size of Kindley.
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.
Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Solomon Kindley will be entering into the 2020 NFL Draft.
Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Solomon Kindley will be entering into the 2020 NFL Draft. Kindley played in 13 games this past season and started 11, primarily at the left guard position. He exited the win over Notre Dame with an injury.
Kindley is another loss for UGA’s offensive line, which is already losing Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson to the 2020 NFL Draft. Kindley has started for part of the season for the past three seasons. His best season came in 2018, when he started all 14 games at left guard.
Justin Shaffer, Trey Hill, Cade Mays, Warren Ericson, Clay Webb, Jamaree Salyer, and Ben Cleveland are among UGA’s key offensive lineman returning for 2020. Fortunately, Georgia has lots of depth along their offensive front to replace the three starters who are entering the NFL Draft.
Kirby Smart and UGA have also signed Tate Ratledge, Chad Lindberg, Austin Blaske, and Devin Willock along the offensive front in the class of 2020. Ratledge and Lindberg figure to be important depth at the very least for Georgia. Additionally, UGA has a commitment from five-star tackle Broderick Jones.
