Silver linings sometimes take a while to show their full benefit.

When George Pickens went down with a torn ACL last spring, it came as a big blow to Georgia's receiver corps. But that allowed the Bulldogs to rotate and build depth throughout the season, which played a big role in Georgia's run to a national championship.

Pickens is now in the NFL. In his wake is a deep and talented receiver group with loads of potential.

When he met with the media on Thursday, Monken noted that coaches are paid to figure out puzzles. That's exactly what he and the Bulldog staff did last season with Pickens on the sideline.

"In some ways, once George went down we had to figure, ‘OK, we don’t have an X, we don’t have somebody that you can just say OK, just go three by one and they kick their coverage and we can throw it there,'" Monken said. "So, you have to get into more tightened sets, condensed sets. How are we going to run the ball better? How are we going to use our tight ends? Not knowing exactly at the time what we had in Brock Bowers or A.D. Mitchell or whoever."

Pickens' absence forced others to step up. Bowers had a colossal season. Mitchell and Ladd McConkey emerged as freshmen revelations alongside veterans such as Kearis Jackson and Jermaine Burton. Overall, Georgia returns seven of its top 10 pass-catchers.

Those players (except Burton) are looking to build on their 2021 performances. There are also a couple of question marks whose answers could take the group from good to great.

One is Arian Smith. The redshirt sophomore has been a big play machine during his two years in Athens, but struggles to stay healthy.

Monken said Smith's injuries have hampered his development during his time in Athens, keeping him from being an every-down player.

"You have situational players and every down players," Monken said. "There is more that goes into it. Okay, you go fast. Players have to know what to do. So, we are looking to bridge that gap from being a situational player to a player we can trust to be out there in more than just when you want to use explosiveness to threaten the defense."

Health has already been a concern for Smith in preseason camp. UGASports' Radi Nabulsi reported on Aug. 11 that Smith suffered an ankle sprain during practice.

Dominick Blaylock is also a bit of an unknown. He has suffered a pair of torn ACLs during his college career, but returned in a limited capacity last season.

It has been a battle for Blaylock to both get healthy and regain confidence. Monken has already seen him come a long way.

"Anybody that has ever played basketball and you roll your ankle, you don’t jump for a month. Imagine tearing your ACL and then you do it again," Monken said. "Over time he has gotten to the point where he feels more and more comfortable. He’s always been a crafty route runner. He’s probably more crafty than he is fast. He has a knack. Some guys just have a knack for getting open and making plays and contested catches and you can see that every day that he is out there."

If Blaylock and Smith are able to contribute, that adds two more weapons to an already deep group of receivers. With the season three weeks away, Monken has an abundance of puzzle pieces now at his disposal.

"We do have more options at receiver probably in some spots, but at the end of the day whether it is using our backs, using our tight ends, using our receivers — that’s what you are paid to do. Figure out a way to score and not turn it over," Monken said.