Georgia makes additional NFL Draft history with selection of tight end John Fitzpatrick

It has been a record-setting 2022 NFL Draft for the Georgia Bulldogs. When the Atlanta Falcons selected tight end John Fitzpatrick with the 213th overall pick in the sixth round Saturday, he became the 15th player off the board for the Bulldogs, the most from one school in seven-round NFL Draft history.

That wasn’t the only record that was broken, however. Fitzpatrick also became the fourth straight Georgia tight end to be taken in the draft, joining Tre‘ McKitty (2021), Charlie Woerner (2020) and Isaac Nauta (2019). Not only is that a school record, but the Bulldogs are also the first school to achieve such a feat, according to tight end coach Todd Hartley.

That trend is likely to continue in future years, as the Bulldogs boast a tight ends room that features talented players such as Brock Bowers, Darnell Washington, Arik Gilbert and Oscar Delp. Bowers is coming off of a spectacular freshman season at Georgia in which he finished with a team-high 882 yards receiving and a program-record 13 touchdown catches. He scored touchdowns in each of the final five games of the season, including the national championship victory against Alabama. The tight end was named the 2021 Freshman of the Year according to the Football Writers Association of America for his efforts.

Given that kind of production, the Georgia tight end seems destined to be taken in the NFL Draft within the next few years. It’s possible that one of his teammates, such as Washington or Gilbert, could even be taken as soon as next season.

The truth about the Georgia Bulldogs offense in 2021, NFL Draft success

Throughout Georgia’s run to the title last season, far too many in the media perpetuated the (false) narrative that the Bulldogs still were an old-school ground-and-pound team. That they lacked explosiveness. That they “were pedestrian” on offense. 

It’s understandable that a generational defense would overshadow Todd Monken’s unit, but here’s the truth, Georgia’s offense was pretty damn good, too. 

In 2021, the Bulldogs averaged 38.6 points per game — ninth nationally. That’s more than Lane Kiffin’s high-octane attack at Ole Miss. More than Cincinnati or North Carolina — two teams with future NFL quarterbacks. 

But Georgia’s defense scored some of those touchdowns! 

Well, the Bulldogs ranked No. 4 in the country in yards per play (6.98). They had 80 plays over 20 yards, seventh-most in the country. They threw for 39 passing touchdowns, sixth-most in all of college football. Add it all up and Georgia finished NUMBER 2 in Bill Connelly’s final 2021 SP+ offensive rankings.

And yet, whether it’s because Stetson Bennett is the quarterback or because Kirby Smart is the head coach, too many ignored the reality of Georgia’s offensive leap in 2021. 

Despite a bunch of injuries at receiver, the Bulldogs were effective, efficient and explosive.

Bennett legitimately improved last season, and that was despite missing George Pickens almost the entire year. And again, there was no Gilbert. No Blaylock. Three of Georgia’s top four receivers last season were freshmen. While Jermaine Burton bounced for Tuscaloosa this offseason, everyone else — and more — are back. 

Monken has continued to grow more comfortable utilizing Bennett’s skill-set, and that has allowed Georgia’s offense to steadily grow and flourish in the last two season. The unit will be relied on more this fall, but I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. 

While Georgia’s defense shattered all sorts of records in 2021, Bennett and his band of Bulldogs playmakers just might rewrite some records of their own in 2022.

On3’s Jesse Simonton contributed to this report.