ATHENS — Outgoing Georgia football players remain among the most discussed and sought-after players in the upcoming draft as April 25 approaches.

Brock Bowers and Amarius Mims are first-round locks, while Ladd McConkey and Kamari Lassiter are considered possibilities among the first 32 picks.

ESPN analyst Field Yates is the most recent to project a two-round NFL “mock draft,” providing more insight into the most promising Bulldogs in this draft class.

Bowers remains a favorite to be selected by the New York Jets, who will be hoping legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers can revive his career at 41 years old.

“Bowers is a difference-making tight end who would complement star wideout Garrett Wilson and recently signed Mike Williams,” per Yates ESPN-plus pay site article.

“He would thrive with no shortage of run-after-catch opportunities.”

The former UGA star tight end would also provide the Jets with a star could handle himself with the media and added scrutiny that comes with plain in New York.

Bowers is a soft-spoken sort who is team-oriented and careful with his words.

ESPN analyst Matt Miller compares Bowers favorably to San Francisco All-Pro George Kittle:

Bowers is not just a tight end; he’s an offensive playmaker. The 6-foot-3, 243-pounder is rough and ready, and unlike so many smooth-moving tight ends of this day and age, he’ll simply run over you. Bowers is physical but fast; he’s as elusive as he is powerful. And it’s why he scored 31 touchdowns over three seasons while being used as a tight end, H-back, slot receiver and sometimes tailback. Some may say he’s undersized, but Bowers’ effort and strength as a blocker are underrated. He can be a focal point for an NFL passing game from Day 1.

Mims, meanwhile, is viewed as more of a project, albeit one with a high enough ceiling to make him worthy of a first-round pick.

Yates projects that San Francisco will feel strong enough about Mims to trade with Dallas for the right to draft him at No. 24 overall.

“He’s inexperienced with just 803 college snaps and eight starts, but … San Francisco could afford to develop Mims this offseason and work him into the lineup as needed in Year 1,” Yates supposes.

Mims, it’s noted, might ultimately develop into a left tackle.

Lassiter and McConkey are projected by Yates to go back-to-back in the second round ant Nos. 45 and 46 to New Orleans and Indianapolis.

Lassiter, whose decision to run at Georgia Pro Day rather than the NFL Combine continues to be an item of discussion, is described as a “sudden, confident and capable in man coverage.”

Lassiter’s game speed is more than adequate, though he ran a slower-than-expected 40 at the Georgia Pro Day.

An NFL insider told DawgNation the turf at the NFL Combine could be as much of a tenth of a second faster than the turf at the Geiogria indoor facility.

McConkey, meanwhile, is more a victim of a very deep receiver class and some teams having concerns about his durability.

Still, Yates wrote that “it’s easy to envision the speedy McConkey — a great runner after the catch — thriving” in Indianapolis.

ESPN’s Matt Miller is among those higher on McConkey, ranking him as a first-round talent:

“McConkey battled through back and ankle injuries in 2023 but put together dominant performances at the Senior Bowl and combine -- including a 4.39-second run in the 40-yard dash. He might be typecast as a slot receiver given his size at 6 feet and 186 pounds, but McConkey has the quickness, burst and hands to be a high-level producer in the NFL.”

The NFL Draft begins with the first round on Thursday, April 25, with the second and third rounds taking place on April 26 and rounds four through seven on April 27.