ATHENS — Georgia had three juniors declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, leaving eligibility on the table.

All three of those players, linebacker CJ Allen, wide receiver Zachariah Branch and offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, were all featured as first-round selections in Mel Kiper Jr’s first mock draft of the 2026 NFL Draft cycle.

Allen is the first Bulldog Kiper Jr. has coming off the board, as the talented Georgia linebacker is set to land with the Carolina Panthers with the No. 19 overall pick.

Allen had a stellar year for Georgia, earning First Team All-American honors and being a finalist for the Butkus Award. He looks to join Roquan Smith, Quay Walker and Jalon Walker as recent Georgia first-round linebackers.

“Allen is a read-and-react player who sees it and goes,” Kiper wrote of Allen. “In 2025, Allen had 97 tackles. He also can chip in with the pass rush, and you’ll see him drop in coverage on tape.”

Next off the board is wide receiver Zachariah Branch. He led Georgia in every receiving category this past season, setting a school record for receptions in a single-season.

Branch brings the added ability of being an impact player on special teams, as he worked as a punt and kick returner for Georgia this past season. That value is why Kiper has the Cleveland Browns taking Branch with the No. 24 pick in the draft.

Should Branch land in the first round, he would become the first wide receiver of the Kirby Smart era to be taken in the first round of the NFL draft.

“Branch is smaller at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, but he’s electric,” Kiper wrote. “No one can catch him when he gets into space, and he has the ability to turn a quick pass into a big gain. Branch had 81 catches for 811 yards and six scores this past season.”

The final Bulldog to come off the board on the first day of the draft is Freeling, who lands with the Los Angeles Rams at pick No. 29.

Los Angeles is plenty familiar with the Georgia program, as they have four players on their current roster in quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Stetson Bennett, offensive tackle Warren McClendon and cornerback Derion Kendrick.

Georgia has had a strong recent run of first-round offensive tackles, with Andrew Thomas, Broderick Jones and Amarius Mims all going in the first round. Freeling seems poised to be next.

“The OL depth could use a boost, and getting a 21-year-old with 18 starts of experience in the door late in Round 1 is a good team-building opportunity,” Kiper wrote of Freeling. “Freeling moves well for a 6-foot-7, 315-pound left tackle, and I like the way he picks up stunts, blitzes and inside rushes.”

If Georgia were to produce three more first-round draft picks, that would give Georgia 23 for the Smart era. By comparison, Georgia has just 21 losses since Smart took over as the program’s head coach back in 2016.

The Bulldogs had 13 players taken in last year’s NFL draft and should be well-represented again in this cycle. Defensive tackle Christen Miller, cornerback Daylen Everette and tight end Oscar Delp are all names to watch in addition to the three possible first-round draft picks.

Only Ohio State had more projected first-round picks in Kiper’s draft, as the Buckeyes are projected to have five.

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is set for April 23.