General consensus forming on Georgia first round draft prospects

NFL.com released a trio of mock drafts last week, and there seems to be a general consensus about the available Georgia Bulldogs. All three had Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith and Broderick Jones coming off the board – in that order – during the first round while one had an additional player predicted.

Carter finished up his Georgia career as a big piece of back to back National Championship winning defense. After 37 tackles in 2021 including 8.5 for loss, Carter followed it up with 32 in 13 games, several of which were limited by injury, in 2022. He was named an unanimous All-American, just the 13th in program history, and a finalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award as the nation’s top lineman.

Making his way back to full strength after a pair of injuries early in the season, Carter earned Bednarik Award Player of the Week for his performance in Georgia’s win over then-top-ranked Tennessee with two sacks and two forced fumbles. He then followed that up with a career-high seven stops in Georgia’s SEC East clinching win at Mississippi State. All seven of Carter’s tackles for loss came in a five game stretch following the injury, starting with the Tennessee game and ending the SEC Championship against LSU.

As for Jones, he started 15 games for Georgia this past season at left tackle, stepping in after Jamaree Salyer departed for the NFL this time last year. Normally a switch at left tackle would make headlines, but with the way the former five-star Jones handled the move, it was far from that in Athens. Jones and the Georgia offensive line allowed just nine sacks, the first offensive line unit to give up fewer than 10 sacks in a 15 game season. Jones also impressed at the NFL Combine with his athleticism, running one of the fastest 40s among offensive linemen in Indianapolis.

Last but not least is Smith, who was the No. 1 overall player in the Class of 2019 when he signed with Georgia. Sharing the outside linebacker room his first two seasons with the likes of Azeez Ojulari, Jermaine Johnson and Adam Anderson, Smith totaled a combined 40 tackles. However, in 2021, he finished top five on the team with 56 stops including nine for loss on the way to the National Championship, the Bulldogs’ first in 41 years. Smith got off to a great start in 2022 too, recording seven tackles for loss including three sacks in the first eight games. He suffered a torn right pectoral muscle though in that eighth game and missed the rest of the season.

In his return to the field at the NFL Combine, Smith was outstanding. He ran a 4.39 40-yard dash and jumped 41.5 inches in the vertical, becoming the heaviest player in Combine history to go under 4.4 and over 40 inches. As a result, a player who was slipping down draft boards during the season due to the injury has quickly shot back up into the first round.

Jalen Carter

Bucky Brooks – No. 5 (Seattle Seahawks)

Pete Carroll and John Schneider take the best player available to upgrade a defense that needs a makeover after last season’s disappointing performance. Carter’s off-field issues must be examined carefully, but there’s no question about his on-field talent. – Brooks

Cynthia Frelund – No. 7 (Las Vegas Raiders)

Top-tier game-speed burst on passing downs and impressive run-stopping ability (both rank in the top 20th percentiles in my 10-season sample), as well as alignment versatility, combine to create the highest win-total increase for a non-QB in this first-round mock (0.81 games). – Frelund

Eric Edholm – No. 5 (Seattle Seahawks)

If the Seahawks are comfortable selecting Carter after investigating his off-field issues, he would fill a big need for them. He has the potential to be the top player from this year’s class. – Edholm

Nolan Smith

Bucky Brooks – No. 10 (Philadelphia Eagles)

The freak athlete could serve as an apprentice to Brandon Graham for a season before cracking the lineup as a full-time starter and disruptive playmaker on the edges. – Brooks

Cynthia Frelund – No. 11 (Tennessee Titans)

The Titans are overhauling their roster, and while I was a bit surprised that a wide receiver didn’t pop up here, Smith makes sense because his presence along a revamped defensive front adds the most immediate value. – Frelund

Eric Edholm – No. 12 (Philadelphia Eagles)

The Eagles could be building Georgia North here with the addition of Smith, along with 2022 picks Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean. Smith could help Philadelphia prepare for life after Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett, who are both due to become free agents after the 2023 season. Trader Howie rarely sits on his hands during the draft. – Edholm

Broderick Jones

Bucky Brooks – No. 14 (New England Patriots)

Adding this physical blocker would complete the Patriots’ offensive makeover with an upgrade on the edges. – Brooks

Cynthia Frelund – No. 17 (Pittsburgh Steelers)

My models rank last season’s O-line 26th in the league, and Jones forecasts as an impact left tackle from Day 1. The former Bulldog’s presence should especially be felt in the pass game, where the Steelers ranked 26th in passing yards per play last season (5.97 yards). – Frelund

Eric Edholm – No. 13 (New York Jets)

Left tackle Duane Brown has one year left on his deal, but he’ll turn 38 before the start of next season. The Jets need to get the tackle spot ironed out with Aaron Rodgers intending to play for them in 2023. Mekhi Becton would have his fifth-year option declined in this scenario. – Edholm

The Surprise…

Eric Edholm was the one writer to project a fourth Georgia player in the first round. That would be tight end Darnell Washington to the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 31 overall pick, the final of the first round.

Travis Kelce will turn 34 next season and should have more of his blocking duties absorbed by others. Enter Washington, who can block, catch and offer the Chiefs more 12 personnel (two tight ends) possibilities. – Edholm

Coming in at 6-foot-7, 270 pounds according to the UGA roster, Washington brought a different element to the game than most other players going out for routes. Not only was he able to catch and run after the catch, but he did so with a physicality that defenses feared. That same physicality also made him a great blocker, the type of all-around tight end that teams are looking for.

Washington had the best year of his career this past season at Georgia. In his previous two combined, Washington played in 21 games with 17 catches. He turned that into 320 yards and one touchdown. As a junior in 2022, Washington not only had the best individual season for most of the receiving categories, but he also topped the career totals he had before. With 28 catches in 15 games, Washington racked up 454 yards and two touchdowns. He also had his career-high single-game totals with four catches for 78 yards versus Vanderbilt and five catches for 60 and a score at Mississippi State.