The Dawg with most to gain in the NFL Draft

ESPN Draft expert Mel Kiper was asked what former Georgia football player had the most to gain with a strong performance at the Bulldogs’ upcoming NFL Pro Day set for March 17.

He didn't hesitate with an answer: cornerback Tyson Campbell.

“I think Tyson Campbell’s Pro Day is going to be important. He has great talent; [he should] show it at the Pro Day. When you look at some of the things in coverage, you like some of what you saw, but there are some curves to smooth there,” Kiper said. “He didn’t always play to the level of his talent and locating the ball. But Tyson is a guy to really watch. If he has the great Pro Day, he could be in the late first-round discussion.”

Campbell, who tied for the team lead in pass breakups with five, was not the only former Bulldog defensive back mentioned in the 90-minute call with reporters Monday afternoon.

Safety Richard LeCount was tabbed as a potential fourth-round selection, as was tight end Tre’ McKitty, who Kiper said boosted his stock with a strong showing at the Senior Bowl back in January.

“He did. You go back to the Florida State tape and the way he ran with the football. They used him on jet sweeps, so it was a little different in the way they utilized him,” Kiper said. “He didn’t have a lot of catches at Georgia but had a good Senior Bowl week. To me, he’s a fourth or fifth-round pick.”

Although time constraints kept Kiper from breaking down each and every draft-eligible Bulldog, he did have positive words to say about linebacker Azeez Ojulari, whom he currently has going to Tampa Bay with the final pick in the first round.

“He had a good year, but I'd have liked to have seen another good year of him backing that up,” Kiper said. “But Azeez Ojulari is a guy who I have on both mocks going in the final pick of the first round. I had him going to Kansas City before the Super Bowl and now I’ve got him going to Tampa Bay.”

Ojulari led the SEC with 8.5 sacks in 2020.

“I think Tampa Bay, needing a pass rusher, and Ojulari showed off the edge this year,” Kiper said. “I’d like to see him put maybe 5-10 pounds on that frame; I would've liked to have seen another year, but based on what I’ve seen, he will be a late first, early second-rounder.”

Kiper said he still has former Bulldog and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields as his second-ranked quarterback after Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence. He disagreed with the notion that Fields will fall outside of the first round, as some others are projecting.

He was also asked about quarterback Jamie Newman, who opted out before the season started. According to Kiper, Newman figures to go somewhere late in the draft, either the sixth or seventh round.