Georgia had a record 15 total players taken in all rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. But if you think Georgia will be lacking talent in the coming season, you may want to take a look at some of the early 2023 NFL mock drafts.

Most, admittedly way-too-early, mock drafts for the 2023 NFL Draft have three more Georgia defenders projected to go in the first round. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, cornerback Kelee Ringo and outside linebacker Nolan Smith all have seen their names near the top of some of the early mock drafts.

All have already made big plays for Georgia and will be expected to emerge as key leaders for the Georgia program next season.

Even though Georgia had three defensive linemen taken in this draft, some believe Carter might be better than all of them. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound defensive lineman can do it all as he’s made impact plays for Georgia on defense, offense and special teams.

He’ll command a lot more attention in 2022, as Travon Walker, Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt are gone. But that opens up more opportunities for the talented junior.

“He has flash plays and he is really athletic,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “Just playing with consistent effort. The talent is oozing, it is a matter of can he play every play with maximum intensity and be able to sustain.”

Related: Kirby Smart wants Jalen Carter to follow example set by Devonte Wyatt

Next off most boards is cornerback Kelee Ringo. The redshirt sophomore cornerback will have to answer questions about the labrum injury that kept him out his freshman season, but he has ideal measurables. He’s also proven himself as a big-time player with his pick-6 in the national championship game.

Ringo will be Georgia’s No. 1 cornerback this season and is expected to emerge as Georgia’s next lockdown corner. Eric Stokes was the last Georgia cornerback taken in the first round, as the Green Bay Packers took him with the No. 27 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

“Throughout this program, coach Smart continually states there’s nothing cemented at all,” Ringo said earlier this spring. “I feel like anything can happen, you know? Any type of situation, but definitely being one of the older guys on the team and definitely having had that leader role definitely gives me a lot more confidence in being able to help my teammates and definitely being more comfortable being a vocal leader.”

Related: Kelee Ringo: Watch him break down the Ringo-6 pick to seal the first Georgia football national title in 41 years

Unlike Carter and Ringo, Smith had the opportunity to declare for the NFL draft this past season but elected to come back to Georgia for another season. While Smith might not have ideal height and length that NFL teams desire for an edge rusher, Smith has a great motor, strong leadership skills and the ability to do a variety of things on the football field. Consider the game against Florida when he had an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in short span in the second quarter.

Smith will be the face of the Georgia program this fall, much like Davis was for Georgia last year. That worked out very well for Davis as he went No. 13 to the Philadelphia Eagles.

“If you want me to be honest, I believe honestly in what Coach Smart is building here and the coaching here,” Smith said on why he came back. “But at the same time, my mom wants me to graduate, so that’s the whole reason I came back. If I don’t give her a diploma, she couldn’t care less about the NFL Draft.”

This is the point of the article where we point out that few saw Walker as the No. 1 overall pick this time a year ago, and the same could be said for fellow first-rounders like Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt. And on the other end of the spectrum, many had former Georgia quarterback JT Daniels pegged as a first-round pick in the early 2022 NFL mock drafts.

Related: NFL Draft 2022: Georgia football live updates, picks, and analysis for selections

To that point, players such as Broderick Jones, Kendall Milton Darnell Washington and Arik Gilbert have the kind of measurable that teams picking in the first round would want.

Carter is seen as a potential top-5 pick, but Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud are likely better bets to be the No. 1 overall pick. Alabama linebacker Will Anderson might have something to say about who goes first as well.

Smart might not love that his players have already been tabbed as first-round picks. He’ll want them focused on the 2022 season. For Georgia, that begins on Sept. 3 when Georgia takes on the Oregon Ducks. Oregon linebacker Noah Sewell has also been mentioned as a possible first-rounder for the 2023 cycle.

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