Georgia had three defensive standouts taken in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Mykel Williams was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, Jalon Walker went to the Atlanta Falcons and Malaki Starks landed with the Baltimore Ravens.

And ESPN’s Matt Miller has already identified one current member of the Georgia team to follow that same path. Miller had junior linebacker CJ Allen landing with the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 26 pick in a 2026 NFL Mock Draft.

"Sometimes when you’re watching film, a player jumps out as a perfect fit for an NFL scheme or coach," Miller wrote. “That’s what Allen is with Jim Harbaugh, as the 6-foot-1, 235-pounder fits the mold of linebackers that Harbaugh had with the 49ers and what he recruited at Michigan. Allen crashes rushing lanes with power while showing the agility to excel in pass coverage. He’s protected by Georgia’s top-tier defensive line, but Allen’s read-and-react ability makes him a good bet to be an immediate NFL starter.”

Allen has some mighty big shoes to fill with Walker now playing for the Falcons.

A season ago, Allen finished second on the team in tackles with 76. The Barnesville, Ga., native already has plenty of playing time at Georgia. As a freshman, Allen emerged as a starter for the Bulldogs when Jamon Dumas-Johnson went down with a season-ending injury. Against Ole Miss, Allen earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors in what was his first career start.

Allen started every game last season. And even with young players such as Chris Cole and Justin Williams in the linebacker room, Allen is going to be an instrumental piece that is expected to not just lead the inside linebacker room but the defense as a whole.

“It’s definitely a blessing just being one of the older guys in the room, coming from being a younger guy,” Allen said this spring on being a leader. “You’ve kind of have the experience of being a younger guy and know how what they’re going through and things like that. So, yeah, it’s definitely a blessing. I wouldn’t say it came fast — well, I feel like it came fast. But you’re just trying to lead those guys in the room and lead a team.”

Walker became the third Georgia linebacker to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since Kirby Smart became the school’s head coach. Georgia has also produced three Butkus Award winners, with Walker taking home the honor last season.

All three winners did so as juniors. Allen is entering his third year in the program in 2025 and has all the tools and experience to be an impact defender and one of the best defenders in the country.

“I’ve seen him improve tremendously on everything,” linebacker Raylen Wilson said this spring. “We try to coach each other when it comes to that in practice. So I feel like I’ve seen him improve a whole bunch.”