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Kirby Smart shares on lesser looked at Georgia players in NFL Draft process

Palmber-Thombsby:Palmer Thombs•03/19/23•

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Georgia outside linebacker Robert Beal Jr. (33) during Georgia’s game against Florida at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla., on Friday, 28, 2022. (Photo by Tony Walsh)

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia has plenty of players being discussed at the top of the draft. Jalen Carter could be a top-five pick. Broderick Jones looks like a lock for the first round, and the same could probably be said about Nolan Smith now after an impressive performance at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this month in Indianapolis. However, those aren’t the only players Kirby Smart wants to see picked. He’s got a couple of lesser discussed Dawgs in mind that he believes should hear their name called in April.

“I don’t listen to what anybody’s saying, so I don’t know who’s getting talked to more or less. I think we’ve got some really good, quality players that’ll make really good pros,” Smart said. “Chris Smith’s a guy that’s been really productive, played well. Kearis (Jackson) is a guy that’s not getting to work out due to a surgery that I think’s a great player. Warren McClendon, who’s going right now, nobody’s been more productive in the SEC the last three years than Warren has. Hopefully he gets a great opportunity.”

One thing that all three of the players Smart mentioned have in common is that they were upperclassmen on Georgia’s 2022 squad. Smith and Jackson spent five seasons between the hedges. McClendon was there for four. With that they’ve built a ton of trust up in the eyes of Smart and worked their way into positions where they were relied upon by the Bulldogs on their way to two straight National Championships.

Smith totaled 133 tackles with all but 11 coming in the last three seasons. Smith was named a unanimous All-American in 2022, but is a bit undersized at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds to play safety in the eyes of the NFL. That could drop a talented player like him into day three. Same goes for Jackson and McClendon, guys who caught 78 passes for 1,107 yards and four touchdowns (Jackson) or started 38 straight games at right tackle (McClendon). Their production speaks for itself, but the NFL has desire to see outstanding measurables along with the numbers on the stat sheet.

Smart didn’t mention him in the same vein, but the conversation applies to a guy like Robert Beal too. Often forgotten about because he was surrounded by incredible defenders over the course of his career, Beal led Georgia in sacks on the 2021 defense and played an even bigger role in 2022 – especially after Nolan Smith went down. In six seasons at Georgia, Beal racked up 72 tackles including 12 for loss with 10.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

“Pass rusher, great athlete, is tough, physical,” Smart said when about specifically about Beal. “I think Robert is going to be really successful in the NFL.”

The NFL Draft begins on April 27th in Kansas City with the first round occurring on Thursday night. The second day has rounds two and three while the final four rounds (4-7) take place over the course of the day on Saturday.

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