ATLANTA – Azeez Ojulari made it official on Saturday, declaring himself eligible for the NFL Draft.
His decision certainly comes as no surprise following his effort in Friday’s 24-21 win over Cincinnati in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, one that saw the Marietta native earn Defensive MVP honors have collecting a career-high three sacks and two forced fumbles.
“It was important for me to just to make sure the seniors go out the right way,” Ojulari said after the game. “Their last game, they worked so hard in this unpredictable season. You never know. Just got the opportunity to play for another game, so I took advantage of it, to play with my brothers. It was great.”
Ojulari joins Eric Stokes as so far, the only other Bulldog underclassman to declare for the NFL. The question now, is who will be next?
There is no shortage of candidates.
Georgia fans are concerned about quarterback JT Daniels and nose tackle Jordan Davis.
Although indications are that Daniels will indeed return, he has yet to make such news official. Last week when asked directly, the transfer from Southern Cal told reporters he had not even begun to consider any such options, noting any off-season decisions would come once Friday’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl was complete.
Any decision by Daniels could well be influenced by the fact that this is appears to be a deep year for quarterbacks in the 2021 Draft.
In a recent story on ESPN where he broke down the top quarterbacks, draft expert Mel Kiper mentioned 11 tops prospects, nine others not named Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields.
Would Daniels risk adding his name to the scrum with just four starts in 2020 and coming off ACL surgery, or would he get healthier and bet on himself to become one of the top returning college quarterbacks in 2021? We will find out soon enough.
Davis will also be one to watch.
The junior enjoyed a strong performance (including a sack) in Georgia’s win over Cincinnati.
Draft projections have run the gamut for the 6-foot-6, 330-pounder. A quick search of mock drafts reveals some analysts project him to be a late first-round pick; others claim the North Carolina native would go somewhere in rounds four and five.
There is a concern among some experts that Davis plays too high and could benefit by a playing another year in college. Like the rest of Georgia’s underclassmen, Davis will wait to hear what the NFL advisory board has to say before making up his mind.
Other underclassmen to watch include cornerback Tyson Campbell, along with running backs Zamir White and James Cook.
Offensive linemen Trey Hill and Jamaree Salyer are two others.
Cook’s situation is a bit different in that last week’s death of his father could lead to the Florida native seeking to play closer to his family. Again, that’s just speculation at this point, but in taking to people around the program could be something to keep any eye on.
Recently, Pro Football Focus released an updated first-round mock draft that listed Campbell at No. 21 pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
White, meanwhile, enjoyed a solid season in his first year as a fulltime starter. Although his final stats were not necessarily eye-popping (144 carries for 779 yards, 11 touchdowns), the fact White has already had ACL surgeries on both knees could encourage him to make the jump. The career expectancy for an NFL running back is an average of four years, and it’s certainly conceivable that White would want to not take a chance on another injury and get paid while he can.
