ATHENS — The NFL draft evaluation process has long been underway with prospects under the microscope of prospective teams looking to fill their needs.

The 2026 NFL Draft takes place April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, but the next step for many of the professionally-bound collegiate players will take place in the Senior Bowl or the East-West Shrine Bowl.

Georgia, on the heels of its second-straight SEC championship season and College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl quarterfinal appearance, will be represented in both all-star games.

Georgia safety Daylen Everette, punter Brett Thorson and long-snapper Beau Gardner have accepted invitations to compete Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Ala., with practices starting on Jan. 27 leading up to the game at 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 31 at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

UGA offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, who recently announced his intent to enter the upcoming NFL draft, has a pending invitation.

Georgia had five players take part in the Senior Bowl last season, each one of them drafted: Dan Jackson, Trevor Etienne, Smael Mondon, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and Arian Smith.

Representatives for outgoing Bulldogs Zachariah Branch, CJ Allen and Oscar Delp declined invitations for the new clients to audition in front of the NFL staff members in the respective all-star games.

The Shrine Bowl, which will be played on Jan. 27 at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas, features outgoing Bulldogs Dillon Bell, Colbie Young and Micah Morris.

Six UGA players took part in the Shrine Bowl week last year: Chaz Chambliss, Warren Brinson, Nazir Stackhouse, Dominic Lovett, Xavier Truss and Ben Yurosek.

The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine will take place Feb. 23-March 2 at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium Feb. 23 through March 2.

Georgia tied a modern-era record with 14 players invited to the 2025 NFL Combine last year.

UGA players will also have an opportunity to go through combine drills and activity at a yet-to-be-announced March date in the Payne Indoor Facility, where the team practices when not working outside.

The Bulldogs had 13 players selected in last year’s draft, and another four signed free-agent contracts.

This year’s Georgia NFL draft class is not expected to be as deep, though several UGA players have an opportunity to be drafted or sign free-agent contracts depending on their valuation post-NFL combine and workout/interview results:

• WR Zachariah Brach

• LB CJ Allen

• OT Monroe Freeling

• DT Christen Miller

• CB Daylen Everette

• TE Oscar Delp

• WR Dillon Bell

• WR Colbie Young

• WR Noah Thomas

• OG Micah Morris

• RB Josh McCray

• RB Cash Jones

• P Brett Thorson