College football fans are focused on the lead-up to championship weekend, but outlets are beginning to shift their focus towards the upcoming draft in the NFL world.
The college football regular season has come to a close, meaning that teams have compiled a significant amount of data on each prospect. Much will change between now and April, but rankings and mock drafts hold more weight now than six months ago.
Georgia could set a program record for players drafted this upcoming spring, with most of those prospects coming from their defense. The Bulldogs' defensive unit is regarded as the best group in the country, and therefore will be getting a lot of the attention this offseason.
After the regular season, Pro Football Focus released their top-50 NFL Prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft, and six Georgia defenders made appearances on the list.
- Nakobe Dean, ILB: No. 11
- Jordan Davis, DT: No. 27
- Lewis Cine, S: No. 41
- Travon Walker, EDGE: No. 44
- Devonte Wyatt, DT: No. 49
That does not include several other draft-eligible Bulldogs who could potentially see their names called in the top-50. Wide receiver George Pickens and cornerback Derion Kendrick will make specific teams fall in love with them during testing and have decent chances at cracking the top-50.
Here is what PFF had to say about each of the Bulldogs on their most recent top-50 list.
Nakobe Dean
"He may not be the physical prototype at 6-foot and 225 pounds, but no one plays the game faster at the linebacker position in college football. He’s earned a 91.9 pass-rushing grade and a 90.8 coverage grade this season."
Jordan Davis
"The single most physically imposing defender in college football. At 6-foot-7, 360 pounds, he’s an immovable block along the defensive line. That may be all you get, though, as he’s managed all of eight pressures this season."
Lewis Cine
"Cine has been playing ever since his true freshman year, and he has played nothing other than quality football. He’s not only sound in coverage, but he is also a very sure tackler who’s missed only eight of his 133 career attempts."
Travon Walker
"Walker is an elite physical specimen for a 6-foot-5, 275-pounder. So much so that he’s dropped into coverage this season and managed a pass breakup. He’s still figuring out how to rush the passer, but you can’t teach what he has."
Devonte Wyatt
"Wyatt has the single best get-off of any defensive tackle in the draft class. He’s finally put it all together as a senior to make a serious impact on Georgia’s defensive line. Wyatt went from a 72.9 overall grade last year to 89.7 this season."
While PFF is not the best indicator for determining a prospect's draft position, their rankings act as a measuring stick within the scouting community. The projections and buzz about specific players validate what we have seen from this team on the field.
If these rankings became a reality, the Bulldogs would set a program record for top-50 selections. In the 2020 Draft, they had eight total players drafted, illustrating just how talented this core is.
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