ATHENS — JT Daniels hasn’t taken a game snap in more than a year, but he’s the only Georgia football player projected in the first round of the opening CBSsports.com 2021 NFL Mock Draft released on Thursday.
Daniels, who suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in USC’s 2019 opening game against Fresno State, is projected to go No. 26 overall to the New England Patriots, according to Chris Trapasso:
“The former No. 1 recruit in the nation lands on a young and talented Georgia team with a former NFL offensive coordinator calling the plays. Bill Belichick trusts Kirby Smart’s player development and picks New England’s quarterback of the future.”
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Daniels transferred to Georgia in May and received a waiver for immediate eligibility.
Trapasso has Trevor Lawrence projected No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jags, and former UGA quarterback Justin Fields at No. 2 to the Washington Football team.
Those NFL projections mirror the 247Sports composite quarterback rankings of the 2018 signing class. Lawrence was the No. 1 overall player and quarterback, Fields No. 2 overall player and quarterback and Daniels was the No. 16 overall player and No. 3 quarterback.
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Daniels has been sporting a knee brace as he has taken part in Georgia scrimmages, but Coach Kirby Smart said he has not yet been cleared to play in the opening game at Arkansas on Sept. 26.
The Bulldogs have redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis, true freshman Carson Beck and redshirt junior Stetson Bennett competing.
Wake Forest graduate transfer Jamie Newman, himself once projected as a first-round NFL pick by some analysts, opted out and left the Georgia football team last week.
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