ATHENS — NFL Combine drama has arrived with its annual guarantee of shuffling the order players are drafted.
One thing that seems certain is that Georgia football will remain among the top storylines this week with the Bulldogs looking to produce a double-digit amount of picks when the draft takes place April 24-26.
The Bulldogs won’t match the record they set in the 2022 NFL Draft when 15 of Kirby Smart’s players were selected, but their draft total will certainly rank among national leaders.
Pro Football Network took note of several UGA players in its most recent NFL mock draft — again, an order that is sure to change once the players take part in the NFL combine drills this week in Indianapolis.
Here’s where Pro Football Network has Georgia players projected to be selected with local commentary on each prediction:
No. 17 Mykel Williams, Cincinnati
Williams is an elite pass rusher, but most agree his best football is likely ahead of him as his ceiling has not been reached in college, largely on account of two injury-marred seasons.
No. 24 Malaki Starks, Minnesota
This seems about right for Starks at the moment, but the Georgia All-American could indeed be selected earlier if he has the sort of standout combine performance many expect.
No. 27 Jalon Walker, Baltimore
This is too low of a projection considering Walker’s versatility and the immediate impact he will bring. Walker is more likely a Top 15 pick and perhaps even Top 10 with a strong combine workout.
No. 78 (3rd round) Tate Ratledge, Arizona
Ratledge is an aggressive player with a high football I.Q, but he’ll need to prove at the combine that he’s back at the top of his game after undergoing tightrope ankle surgery last season.
No. 88 (3rd round) Jared Wilson, Jacksonville
Wilson should be the top center in the NFL draft provided teams clear him in his medical evaluation and he proves among the most athletic offensive linemen at the combine, as expected.
No. 101 (4th round) Dylan Fairchild, Detroit
Fairchild if healthy, could actually be the first Georgia offensive lineman drafted. Fairfield’s physicality and nasty streak should get him selected early the third round, provided he tests healthy.
No. 123 (4th round) Smael Mondon Jr., Green Bay
Mondon has been on the rise since regaining complete health in the Georgia-Tennessee game and showing out against Georgia Tech in the season-finale. A strong combine should move Mondon into the second day (rounds 2 and 3) of the draft.
No. 145 (5th round) Benjamin Yurosek, New England
Yurosek improved as the season progress, but it’s hard to imagine the Stanford transfer being selected this high in the draft — or perhaps at all — considering some of the blocking issues he had.
No. 155 (5th round) Nazir Stackhouse, N.Y. Giants
Stackhouse proved he could effectively fill gaps, but his lack of pass rush efficiency could make this projection more accurate than he would like.
No. 178 (5th round) Trevor Etienne, Baltimore
Etienne didn’t turn pro a year early with the idea he would be picked outside the third round, but early projections indicate that’s what will happen barring Etienne busting out a low 40-yard dash number.
No. 218 (6th round) Xavier Truss, Las Vegas
Truss size, frame and experience are all in the plus column, but there’s work to be done to develop Truss into an NFL starter. Free-agent status is not out of the question.
No. 256 (7th round) Warren Brinson, Kansas City
Brinson’s size and athleticism would seem to indicate him a much better prospect that his projection as the penultimate pick suggests. Brinson’s interviews with NFL teams will mean as much as anything he does at the combine.
Free agents
Georgia has five players that Pro Football Network expects to sign as free agents:
Arian Smith would seem to have the best chance of working his way into being selected in the draft if he can run a 40-yard dash in the low-4.2-second range at the NFL Combine.
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, like Smith a Senior Bowl participant, is another Georgia player whose production last season would suggest him a draft pick.
Dominic Lovett lacks the size and elite speed NFL teams are looking for, but his durability, route running and special teams abilities give him a chance of being selected.
Dan Jackson was snubbed from the NFL Combine — a curious oversight — but Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy believes he’s a pro player, and Jackson’s Senior Bowl teammates voted him the best defensive back.
Chaz Chambliss earned the reputation as the hardest-working defensive lineman at Georgia the past few years, so while his size is less than ideal, his toughness and drive is elite.
