UGASports follows up our initial version of the Bulldogs Mock Draft Tracker 1.0 from a little less than two months ago with the second edition—a post combine and pro day version—of speculating on which Georgia players will go where in this year’s NFL Draft.
Analyzed are the same five mock drafts we’ve been using the last few years for this series: Draft Tek and Lines, each of which projects all seven rounds; Walter Football, which increased its forecast from three to four rounds; and Tankathon and Draft Wire, each forecasting the first three rounds.
Notably, the mock drafts projected 10 different Bulldog players to get drafted, half of which are forecasted by all five mocks (mocks’ average overall selection): Jalen Carter (6.6), Broderick Jones (13.8), Nolan Smith (28.8), Kelee Ringo (42.0), and Darnell Washington (45.4).
In the table below, each player is listed with their increase or decrease in average overall selection compared to the first draft tracker. For instance, Carter’s average overall selection was 3.4 for v1.0, followed by a 6.6 average for the current v2.0. That’s a decrease of 3.2 places (3 rounded) since our initial Draft Tracker in late January.
After their increase/decrease since v1.0, each player is followed by a projected round, overall pick in parenthesis, and selecting NFL team according to the five mock drafts for v2.0:
Half of the 10 former Georgia players featured in the latest mocks evidently improved their draft status since the first time UGASports tracked them. Notably, Stetson Bennett is featured in three of the latest mock drafts (159.7 average, which is middle 5th round), including as a third-round pick according to Walter Football, after being featured in just one mock (as the 240th pick) in v1.0. Similarly, Robert Beal, who wasn’t featured in any of the mocks the first time around is currently projected by Drafttek as a sixth-round pick.
After having an early second-round average for v1.0 (33.8), Broderick Jones is projected in four of the five mocks to be the 13th overall pick by the New York Jets. Worthy of mention, the Jets haven’t drafted a Georgia player in seven years (Jordan Jenkins, 2016) while the No. 63 pick (Mo Lewis in 1991) is the highest a Bulldog player has ever been taken by the Jets.
As far as the Bulldogs whose draft status might have dipped a bit, Kelee Ringo’s average overall selection dropped from being a middle first-round pick to an early-to-mid second-rounder. Kenny McIntosh’s stock fell a full round from a projected middle fourth-round pick to a middle fifth-round selection. Also, although Warren McClendon’s stock seemingly fell (17 spots—139 average from 122), he is actually featured in more mock drafts this time than v1.0 (two to one).
Finally, and as repeatedly mentioned here before, there’s the long-standing notion that the Atlanta Falcons rarely draft Georgia players. And, indeed, in 57 possible NFL drafts, only 11 Bulldogs have been drafted by the local professional team (the same number as drafted by the Jets), including two last year (sixth-rounders Justin Shaffer and John FitzPatrick) and one UGA basketball player (Ray Jeffords in 1968). What’s more, the highest the Falcons have ever drafted a Bulldog was at No. 80 (Scott Woerner in 1981). Yet, according to Draft Wire of USA Today, Carter will be selected No. 8 overall by Atlanta.
Be on the lookout for version 3.0 just prior to the April 27-29 NFL Draft.
