Georgia's top draft prospects explain decision to sit out of Pro Day, set up private workout

ATHENS, Ga. — The biggest story of Georgia’s Pro Day was the pair of Bulldogs that didn’t participate. Brock Bowers, who didn’t participate in drills at the NFL Combine either, said he tweaked his hamstring about two weeks prior to Pro Day. As for Amarius Mims, the injury to his hamstring happened during his second attempt at the 40-yard dash during the Combine.

Both potential first round picks, Bowers and Mims would’ve preferred to work out alongside their college teammates in Athens on Wednesday. Instead, they’ll hoping to hold a private workout in early April for scouts to see what they’re capable of.

“A lot of it is like training for the 40 (yard dash) and stuff, and I’d rather be training for football,” Bowers said about his injury and upcoming private session. “It happens. I’m getting faster, but I’d rather be working out here with all the guys, doing it today. Stuff happens.”

“Today I did bench in the weight room, and for a guy with long arms like me, I was trying to hit a set number. I didn’t get that number. There’s still work to do,” Mims added. “Yeah, it (his hamstring) is still lingering a little bit, but I’ve been rehabbing it every day, attacking that rehab. I plan on setting up a later date with my agent to do field work and get my field work in.”

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart defended the decision of the two Bulldog stars. He understands the desire to be healthy when working out for NFL scouts and believes that their tape should do enough talking as is.

“I think they want to be healthy,” Smart said. “The number one thing is being 100 percent when you work out. If they were 100 percent, they would probably do it today. This is not an extension of the season. This is throughout their training.”

In three seasons at Georgia, Bowers won a pair of Mackey Awards as the nation’s top tight end, catching 175 passes for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns on his career. Meanwhile, Mims helped hold down an offensive line that kept the Bulldog quarterbacks clean and opened holes on the ground for the run game, earning multiple Joe Moore Award finalist nods during his time.

Needless to say, there’s not much to prove for the two. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has both going in the first round of his most recent mock, and that’s been the case for quite some time now. However, both still have stuff they want to show.

“A lot of it is just questions about medical stuff. That’s the main thing they dig into, the ankle because it just happened and also what kind of person I am,” Bowers said before adding that the ankle is 100% back to normal after having surgery midseason. “… A lot of it is asking what I could have done better on certain plays and my football knowledge, what the defense is doing and what they’re rolling to. All the little things I guess.”

“I’m not sure yet. I’m going to see what my agent says,” he added. “I want to be out there competing against dudes and try to beat everyone’s times. Who knows if that’s going to happen. It sucks being on the sideline watching.”

As for Mims, he’s thinking about proving himself as an athletic offensive tackle.

“I’m more than just a big guy, big tackle. I feel that I can move very well, move even better than other guys,” Mims said. “I think I can bend well. Move around, show guys I can pull, get on the edge. Big splash plays.”

“I ain’t going to say super happy because I know I can run faster than that,” he added on his 5.07 40-yard dash time from the Combine. “My 10-yard split is what got me. On my start, I know exactly what I did wrong … I called my agent immediately, I told him what I did wrong before he even said a word. He was like, ‘Yup, we can run again.’ I was like, ‘Okay, that’s what I’m going to do.'”

The NFL Draft is set for April 25-27th in Detroit. Georgia is looking to lead the NCAA in selections for a third straight year after having 15 taken in 2022 and 10 in 2023.