Georgia Football: Taking a look at two seven-round NFL Draft projections for UGA players

The NFL Draft is almost here, and that means before too long we won’t have to be predicting where guys are going to land. Instead, we’ll have a full picture painted with all the new teams for the 13 available Georgia Bulldogs.

Live coverage from Kansas City can be found on Thursday on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. They also get our draft week started with a pair of seven-round mock drafts from experts Matt Miller (ESPN) and Chad Reuter (NFL.com).

Matt Miller – ESPN

Jalen Carter – No. 5 (Seattle Seahawks)

This is the best possible scenario for the Seahawks, with a player many scouts say is the best in this class falling to No. 5 overall. The Seahawks have done work on quarterbacks and have been connected to Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon, but Carter being available changes everything. His first-step quickness and interior pass-rush ability would be a big boost for the Seahawks.

Nolan Smith – No. 8 (Atlanta Falcons)

Smith can be a game-changer in Ryan Nielsen’s defense given his ability to win in space. His speed, awareness and three-down traits make him a utility knife off the edge. Multiple sources around the league said that Texas running back Bijan Robinson might be too good to pass up here, but the premium position is pass-rusher, which is why Smith gets his name on the draft card. Despite playing in only eight games because of a torn pectoral muscle in 2022, Smith collected three sacks, seven tackles for loss and 17 pressures.

Broderick Jones – No. 19 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

I didn’t project any trades in the first round of this mock draft, so good players are falling down the board. The Buccaneers benefit after releasing long-time starter Donovan Smith. Jones — who could probably go as high as No. 9 overall — is raw and inexperienced after starting for just one season at Georgia, but his tape is the meanest of any blocker in the draft. “Jones is what you’d get if you could design a run blocker,” said one college scouting director. “He’s just so long, so agile, and his power in space is awesome.”

Kelee Ringo – No. 32 (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Getting younger in the secondary takes priority in Round 2, where the Steelers can draft a high-upside cornerback to learn under Patrick Peterson and push Levi Wallace. Ringo had legitimate first-round buzz before the 2022 season began but struggled in man coverage. He is 6-2, 207 pounds and ran a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash, so the all-around potential is promising. And Pittsburgh has a track record of strong player development.

Darnell Washington – No. 56 (Jacksonville Jaguars)

A backup to superstar Brock Bowers at Georgia, Washington had just 45 catches in three seasons, but it is his potential that has NFL teams excited. At 6-7 and 264 pounds, Washington has unreal size and physical traits, including 4.64 speed. He also is the best run-blocking tight end in the entire class. He has the tools to develop into a legitimate three-down player and a red zone nightmare. With Evan Engram primarily a slot player, Washington can help as an in-line player.

Christopher Smith – No. 131 (Cincinnati Bengals)

Stetson Bennett – No. 170 (Green Bay Packers)

Warren McClendon – No. 198 (Seattle Seahawks)

Kenny McIntosh – No. 223 (Los Angeles Rams)

Robert Beal – No. 248 (Philadelphia Eagles)

Chad Reuter – NFL

Jalen Carter – No. 9 (Chicago Bears)

If the Bears can’t move out of this pick, they may not be able to pass on Carter’s talent, though they will have to carefully weigh his off-field question marks.  

Nolan Smith – No. 12 (Houston Texans)

Smith’s speed made headlines at the NFL Scouting Combine, but his surprising power and ability to win with his hands are just as impressive. He’ll be a leader and effective pass rusher and run defender for the Texans.

Broderick Jones – No. 14 (New England Patriots)

New England needs a left tackle, and Jones is just scratching the surface of his potential on the outside. I project the Patriots to trade two fourth-round picks to the Rams (who currently do not possess a selection between Nos. 77 and 167) to snag Brian Branch in the second round if he falls out of the first, like other former Alabama safeties Landon Collins and Xavier McKinney.

Kelee Ringo – No. 35 (Indianapolis Colts)

Darnell Washington – No. 42 (Green Bay Packers)

Warren McClendon – No. 140 (Cleveland Browns)

Christopher Smith – No. 145 (Carolina Panthers)

Robert Beal – No. 197 (Miami Dolphins)

Stetson Bennett – No. 210 (New England Patriots)

Kenny McIntosh – No. 228 (Tennessee Titans)

Takeaways

Couple of quick takeaways from the two seven-round projections…

• For the Georgia players projected off the board in the first round: Jalen Carter‘s landing spot is still up in the air, but the consensus seems to be he won’t fall out of the top 10. Meanwhile, Nolan Smith might have even more range with his possibilities coming anywhere from top-10 to in the 20s. As for Broderick Jones, the teens have always been his friend, and it unless there’s a surprise (which there very well could be), he’ll end up likely in the 11-19 range.
• Was a little surprised to see Kelee Ringo as the first player picked between him and Darnell Washington according to both projections. It feels like we’ve seen Washington first round projections much more recently than we have Ringo, so based on that I’d assume he’d be the earlier selected. That still could happen, and a lot of it has to do with the depth at both positions. Those two seem headed for second round selections.
• Made mention of it during The Georgia Show on Sunday night, but Rounds 3 and 4 could be quiet. Between the two projections, only one Georgia player came off the board. That would be Christopher Smith late in the fourth according to Miller. Reuter on the other hand had Georgia coming up empty in Rounds 3 and 4. Either way, expect a busy sixth and seventh rounds with that seeming like the landing spot for the likes of Robert Beal, Stetson Bennett and Kenny McIntosh – among others. But, as always, it only takes one team to fall in love with them, so it wouldn’t come as too big of a surprise either to see one (or more) of their names off the board earlier than what’s being projected now.