ATHENS —Georgia football finished No. 1 in the College Football Playoffs and the Bulldogs are starting atop the field for most number of players headed to the NFL combine, and presumably later in the spring, the NFL draft.
A modern-era, program-record 14 Georgia players received their invites to the NFL draft, which will be held March 1-6 in Indianapolis.
The Bulldogs are certainly familiar with the self-styled “Crossroads of America,” having faced Alabama in the CFP Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Jan. 10.
The Georgia defense had its way that day, holding Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young to just one touchdown and producing a touchdown of its own with a Pick 6 that sealed the 33-18 victory.
The Crimson Tide tied Oklahoma for most combine invites this year (11), while SEC schools LSU and Texas A&M had nine players invited each.
Georgia could have easily had all 15 of its players with draftable grades invited to the NFL combine, if not for team captain and departing senior tight end John FitzPatrick undergoing foot surgery after the season.
FitzPatrick unselfishly played through the injury last season, even while knowing it could affect his postseason NFL draft evaluation process.
FitzPatrick isn’t expected to be 100 percent by Georgia’s Pro Day, tentatively set for March 16, but the plan is that he’ll be ready to take part in NFL rookie minicamps in May, with whatever franchise he ends up with.
The Bulldogs’ tight ends enjoyed a banner season, with most of the attention going to All-American and Freshman of the Year Brock Bowers.
But FitzPatrick played a pivotal role, as well, emerging as one of the top blocking tight ends in the nation.
For all the attention projected first-round Michigan defensive ends Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo got, neither did much against Georgia and FitzPatrick’s blocking played a role in that.
The Wolverines, it’s worth noting, have eight players invited to the NFL combine while Cincinnati, the other of the four CFP Playoff teams, also have eight players invited.
In addition to the players who finished their collegiate careers at Georgia, two others who started their careers at UGA earned invitations, DE Jermaine Johnson (Florida State) and OL Cade Mays (Tennessee).
Georgia could set an NFL record this year for most players from one school drafted if all 15 of its NFL prospects are selected. LSU holds the mark (14) set in 2020.
Here’s a list of the 14 Georgia players invited to this year’s NFL combine, and then below, the past list of Georgia players who played under Kirby Smart and received NFL combine invitations:
2022 NFL Combine
DT Jordan Davis
DT Devonte Wyatt
DE Travon Walker
LB Nakobe Dean
LB Channing Tindall
LB Quay Walker
CB Derion Kendrick
SS Lewis Cine
WR George Pickens
OG Jamaree Salyer
OG Justin Shaffer
P Jake Camarda
RB James Cook
RB Zamir White
2021 NFL Combine
with combine heights/weights
LB Monty Rice, 6-0, 238
OC Trey Hill 6-3, 319
DL Malik Herring 6-3, 275
DB Mark Webb 6-1, 207
CB Eric Stokes 6-0, 194
CB Tyson Campbell 6-1, 193
CB DJ Daniel 6-0, 195
TE Tre’ McKitty 6-3, 246
OG Ben Cleveland 6-6, 343
SS Richard LeCounte 5-10, 196
OLB Azeez Ojulari 6-2, 249
2020 NFL Combine
QB Jake Fromm, 6-2, 219
RB D’Andre Swift, 5-8, 212
OT Isaiah Wilson 6-6, 350
OT Andrew Thomas, 6-5, 315
OG Solomon Kindley 6-3, 337
WR Lawrence Cager 6-5, 220
RB Brian Herrien 5-11, 209
FS J.R. Reed 6-1, 202
TE Charlie Woerner 6-5, 244
K Rodrigo Blankenship 6-1, 190
2019 NFL Combine
CB Deandre Baker, 5-11, 193
OL Lamont Gaillard, 6-3, 305
WR Terry Godwin, 5-11, 184
WR Mecole Hardman, 5-10, 187
RB Elijah Holyfield, 5-10, 217
DL Jonathan Ledbetter, 6-4, 280
TE Isaac Nauta, 6-3, 244
WR Riley Ridley, 6-1, 199
DE D’Andre Walker, 6-2, 251
2018 NFL Combine
DL John Atkins 6-2, 321
LB Davin Bellamy 6-3, 253
LB Lorenzo Carter 6-4, 250
RB Nick Chubb 5-10, 227
RB Sony Michel 5-10, 214
DB Dominick Sanders 5-11, 193
LB Roquan Smith 6-0, 236
DT Trent Thompson 6-2, 288
OL Isaiah Winn, 6-2, 313
WR Javon Wims 6-2, 215
2017 combine
WR Isaiah McKenzie 5-7, 173
