Bill Belichick has started to make a habit out of taking control of pro day in Athens.
At the showcase Wednesday for NFL teams in Athens, the New England Patriots coach zeroed in on the Bulldogs’ stacked linebacker group, spending a lot of time observing as the players ran through drills as well as leading them through workouts himself.
Check out the videos below of Belichick working with linebackers Roquan Smith, Davin Bellamy, Lorenzo Carter and Reggie Carter from DawgNation’s Seth Emerson.
For Belichick to be that hands on with a player or group of players has been a great sign for former Bulldogs. At Georgia’s 2015 pro day, Belichick spent a lot of one-on-one time with center David Andrews, putting him through a variety of workouts.
Then Belichick waited patiently as Andrews went undrafted before signing him as a free agent. Since then, he’s won the starting center job in New England and started two Super Bowls, winning one.
Here are some still photos from Emerson of Belichick and the linebackers in action, a session that lasted close to 20 minutes.
Smith figures to be the only one of the group who should be out of the reach of Belichick and the Patriots in the NFL draft in April. Smith, the Butkus Award winner, figures to be a top-10 overall pick. But Lorenzo Carter could be an intriguing option later in the first round when New England picks, and Bellamy could be a steal in the middle rounds.
Considering the Patriots defense struggled for much of last season and lost defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to the Detroit Lions, a member of the Georgia wolfpack likely would be a welcome addition in Foxboro, where they’d join other former Georgia standouts Andrews and wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell.
