One of the best things about the time off between the SEC Championship and Georgia’s New Year’s Eve date with Michigan in the Orange Bowl is it’s giving several injured Bulldogs a chance to further heal.

Safety Christopher Smith and left tackle Jamaree Salyer are two players who are taking advantage of the opportunity.

“Both Chris (knee) and Jamaree (foot) have been practicing," head coach Kirby Smart said Monday. "Chris has been a little more limited in terms of volume, but he’s practiced each and every day. He’s done a great job.”

Salyer should be at, or close to, 100 percent when the Bulldogs and Wolverines kick off in just under two weeks.

“Jamaree has been out there every practice and done a good job. He’s gotten a lot more work,” Smart said. “He actually didn’t get a lot of work before the SEC championship game, so he’s been able to practice.”

Smart did reveal that wide receiver Ladd McConkey missed some time with an undisclosed injury. But there are apparently no concerns.

Otherwise, Georgia’s coach said there are no other injuries to speak of.

Running back Kendall Milton (knee) is also expected to be able to play.

“Ladd has been a little banged up, and he’s missed some time,” Smart said. “But I expected him back; that’s really it.”

Smart also said wide receiver George Pickens continues to improve, but again warned reporters and fans not too expect too much.

“We see him every day in practice, and he’s working back to get that way, but he’s not there (100 percent). Nobody is,” Smart said. “There’s no person on earth who comes back from an ACL and back out there running the same speeds, the same confidence and breaks that you would usually have. He continues to get better.”

However, there’s still plenty of work involved that Smart doesn't believe the casual fan understands.

“The biggest thing is getting back and understanding all the details and intricacies of the offense. Making sure he knows splits, shifts, motions, IDs. When you don’t do that for that long I think everyone just assumes it comes back naturally. That’s just not something you just wake up and do. It takes reps, and he’s only been able to get those reps in the last two to three weeks.”