Arizona Cardinals select Lamont Gaillard in sixth round with 179th pick

ATHENS — Georgia center Lamont Gaillard was the choice of the Arizona Cardinals with the 179th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Guillard was the fourth center selected in the NFL Draft, and the fifth Bulldogs’ player:

• CB Deandre Baker (N.Y. Giants, 30th, 1st round)

• WR Mecole Hardman (Kansas City, 56th, 2nd round)

• WR Riley Ridley (Chicago, 126th, 4th round)

• OLB D’Andre Walker (Tennessee, 168th, 5th round)

The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Gaillard was a three-year starter on a Georgia offensive line that finished among the top three in the country, as evaluated by the Joe Moore Award committee.

“Lamont gets guys blocked and has a great feel for how to work with guys next to him,” said ESPN analyst Cole Cubelic. “He plays with good leverage and is very quick laterally. He doesn’t have great power, but he understands how to get into position quickly.”

Cubelic, a former center at Auburn during his playing career and current Joe Moore Award committee member, ranked Gaillard as the top center in the SEC.

Gaillard started the final 42 games of the 44 he played in his career. He was one of four of the Bulldogs’ permanent captains in 2018, universally respected in the locker room.

Originally recruited by former UGA coach Mark Richt as a defensive lineman, Guillard’s flip to center proved pivotal.

In addition to making the line calls, teammates relied on Guillard to help generate energy.

“Lamont, he always had juice, on the sidelines and in the games,” UGA receiver Riley Ridley said. “Regularly, he keeps guys alive with it.”