There was plenty of praise from the three NFL teams regarding the trio of former Georgia Bulldogs taken in Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft.

That certainly comes as no surprise.

Take Jalon Walker, who the Atlanta Falcons chose with the 15th pick, becoming the first Bulldog to ever be taken in the first two rounds by the franchise going back to its origins in 1966.

"The kid’s makeup, obviously, is unique," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said during a press conference Thursday night. "All the things he can do. All the places he can rush from. Obviously, he's an off-the-ball backer, he's an on-the-ball backer. He can do so many different things. He's versatile. He can set edges. There's not a whole lot that he can't do. And if you met the kid in person, you fall in love with him."

Walker was the second Bulldog to be chosen Friday. Bulldog defensive end Mykel Williams was the first, going with the 11th pick to San Francisco before safety Malaki Starks went to Baltimore at pick No. 27.

San Francisco President of Operations John Lynch said he almost traded up to get Williams even earlier, before the former Bulldog literally fell into their lap.

“We liked everything about him. The film is very impressive. Mykel is a big, good-looking kid in every way. He’s big, he’s tall, he’s long, he’s a great athlete. He’s tough, he’s smart, he’s versatile,” said Lynch, a former All-Pro safety. “He can play outside, he can play inside, he does all those things. The toughness; he played through an ankle injury last year and missed two games. But high-ankle sprains can be a tough deal. He came here on a visit, and we really got a feel for the kid, and all of that led us to, ‘This guy is a 49er.’ He fits our culture.”

Baltimore GM Eric DeCosta said Starks blew the Ravens away during his interview with the organization while at the NFL Combine.

“It was probably one of the most impressive interviews we've ever had at the Combine,” DeCosta told reporters. "I just think it was remarkable, the way that he could discuss football. His awareness, his ability to call out the plays from their defense before we even showed the plays, just based on formation. The ability to dissect and talk about what happened on any given play, and to know what his teammates were doing on any given play. It was like he was a coach.”

With three members of the Georgia defense selected, the Bulldogs have had at least one defender selected in the opening round for four of the last five years. Georgia has produced 13 first-round selections over the past four seasons, as well as three first-round picks for the third time in program history.

Other notes:

• Williams: This marks the fifth consecutive season that the Bulldogs have had one of their frontline defenders taken in the draft.

• Walker: Twenty linebackers from Georgia have been picked since 2010, with seven of those being selected in the first round.

• Starks: Georgia has now had 13 defensive backs selected since 2019, with four of them being selected in the first round.

“It’s one of the biggest blessings of my life, obviously,” Walker said Thursday night in an interview with reporters. “To be the first Bulldog, from the University of Georgia, is great. I’m excited to start my journey in Atlanta.”

Walker, who was known for his ability to play inside and outside on defense with the Bulldogs, figures to do the same with the Falcons.

“You know my game, I’m able to be that versatile piece and play wherever they want to put me,” he said. “I’m able to be that versatile piece, so wherever they want to play me, I’ll be able to play.”

Starks is only the fourth Bulldog selected by the Ravens all-time after Baltimore selected Musa Smith (2003), DeAngelo Tyson (2012), and Ben Cleveland (2021) in previous drafts.

“I had a good feel for the organization,” Starks told reporters. “I met with them at the Combine and had some Zooms as well. There’s a lot more I have to learn, but like I said, I’m ready to learn from the vets and what it takes to be a Raven.”

Look for more Bulldogs to hear their names called when rounds two and three of the NFL Draft are held this evening, beginning at 7 p.m.

Names to watch include center Jared Wilson, guard Tate Ratledge, and perhaps others.