A number of Georgia Bulldogs will hear their name called on draft night, as the 2021 NFL Draft is set to begin on April 29. In the run-up to the draft, DawgNation will profile each potential draftee as a part of our Dawgs in the Draft series. Today’s entry will focus on Mark Webb. 

Mark Webb came to Georgia as a wide receiver

Webb was a multi-year starter for Georgia in its defensive backfield. But that wasn’t where he started his career as the Bulldogs originally recruited Webb as a wide receiver.

Webb signed with Georgia as a part of its 2017 recruiting cycle and intended to play wide receiver. He was a 4-star recruit out of Philadelphia and rated as the No. 135 recruit in the 247Sports Composite rankings.

But shortly after arriving at Georgia, Kirby Smart flipped Webb to the defensive side of the ball where he emerged as a trusted starter in the Georgia secondary. As a senior, he picked up 21 tackles in eight games for Georgia. He did come up with his first career interception in a win over Auburn in Georgia’s second game of the season.

Related: Georgia’s Mark Webb raises eyebrows at Senior Bowl with nifty interception

Webb was much more productive in 2019, when he finished with 46 tackles, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups and three tackles for loss.

Mark Webb is cousins with former Georgia running back D’Andre Swift

Webb isn’t the only member of his family to play for the University of Georgia, as he is cousins with former Georgia running back D’Andre Swift.

Swift and Webb both came out of Philadelphia and signed as a part of the 2017 Georgia recruiting class. That same recruiting class produced the likes of Andrew Thomas, Jake Fromm and Richard LeCounte.

Swift was the second running back taken in the 2020 NFL Draft as the Detroit Lions took him with the No. 35 overall pick. Swift finished with 521 rushing yards, 357 receiving yards and 10 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns.

Georgia recently dipped into the transfer portal to land another Philadelphia product, as the Bulldogs brought in West Virginia safety Tykee Smith. Webb has spoken highly of Smith due in part to their Philly connection.

Related: Mark Webb explains what Tykee Smith will bring to the team

Mark Webb is a versatile defender for Georgia

Webb was asked to fill a number of different roles while manning the Star position for Georiga.

In simpler terms, the Star is essentially the nickelback. Webb wasn’t just asked to lock up slot receivers though in the complex Georgia defense.

“It’s a lot of different things for the nickel to take on. It’s a multi-faceted thing,” Webb said. “You can’t just have one perfect body at nickel. You can’t be scared when you’re at nickel. It really helps the whole team if you can be effective at nickel.”

Related: Mark Webb’s NFL Draft stock jumps after Georgia football Pro Day workout

Webb won’t be the only 2021 NFL draft selection to come from Georgia’s secondary, as Eric Stokes, Tyson Campbell, DJ Daniel and LeCounte are all potential draftees as well. With all that defensive talent, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Webb was a key part of one of college football’s top defensive units.

Dawgs in the Draft: Mark Webb

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