Malik Herring signs with Kansas City Cheifs as free agent

Despite suffering a torn ACL in January of 2021, Malik Herring still found an NFL home as he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Herring was not one of the nine Bulldogs taken in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he and DJ Daniel were quickly scooped up as free agents. Daniel signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Related: Georgia football’s Malik Herring, DJ Daniel among big-name players not selected in 2021 NFL Draft

Herring was a two-year starter for Georgia at the defensive end position for the Bulldogs. Georgia did not ask Herring to be a disruptive player but at 6-foot-3 and 280 pounds he was a key piece in Georgia’s top-ranked run defense.

Out of Forsyth, Ga., Herring ranked second on Georgia’s team with 24 pressures last season. He picked up 21 tackles though only 2.0 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. As a junior, he had 18 pressures and 26 tackles for Georgia.

Herring does have positional versatility to play along the defensive line.

“I think I’m very versatile,” Herring said. “I’ve got film of me playing 0-nose and pass-rushing all the way outside to shade 9-technique. I feel like I’m very versatile and I fit in any defensive scheme.”

Related: Malik Herring: 3 things you need to know about the 2021 NFL Draft prospect

Herring hopes to fully ready to go from his ACL injury by early September, which would match up with the start of the 2021 NFL season.

Georgia had a record-setting draft, as the school had six players taken in the first three rounds, the most ever by the program. Eric Stokes went in the first round, Tyson Campbell and Azeez Ojulari went in the second and Monty Rice, Ben Cleveland and Tre’ McKitty all went in the third round. Richard LeCounte was taken in the fifth round and Trey Hill went in the sixth round. Mark Webb was taken in the seventh round

The nine players taken is the most in a single draft in school history.

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