By the Numbers - Georgia in the NFL Draft
1 – With one more first-round draft pick on Thursday, stat geeks all around will race to send out the news that Kirby Smart has had the same number of first-round draft picks from UGA (currently at 20) as his total losses (21) in ten seasons as head coach.
2 – The Houston Texans have selected the fewest Georgia Bulldogs on any current NFL team. Yes, they have only been choosing picks since 2002, but really just two (Ben Jones and Kamari Lassiter)?
3 – There are three NFL teams that have not selected a Georgia player since Smart has been the head coach (Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, and New Orleans Saints). The Commanders’ last Bulldog taken was in 2016 (Smart was the coach, but did not coach a game for the Dawgs).
3 – Last season, the Detroit Lions selected three Dawgs (Tate Ratledge, Dan Jackson, and Dominic Lovett).
4 in last 4 (4 in 27) – Four Georgia players have been picked by the home-state Atlanta Falcons in the last four NFL Drafts. Prior to the last four NFL Drafts, the Falcons selected four Bulldogs in the previous 27 NFL Drafts.
5 – Five Bulldogs were taken in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft and all five came from the defensive side of the field (Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, and Lewis Cine). That is the most by the Dawgs in any first round of an NFL Draft.
6 – Monroe Freeling is predicted to be chosen in the first round in most mock drafts. He would be the sixth offensive lineman selected in the first round under Smart (Isaiah Wynn, Andrew Thomas, Isaiah Wilson, Broderick Jones, and Amarius Mims).
6 of 10 – Georgia has had multiple first-round players selected in six of the ten NFL Drafts since Smart took over.
8 – The last eight Georgia players the Eagles selected were all defensive players, including six under Smart. The last offensive Bulldog taken by Philadelphia was Max Jean-Gilles.
13 – There were 13 Dawgs taken in last year’s NFL Draft, including three first-round selections (Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker, and Malaki Starks). The 13 picked are the second-highest total in one NFL Draft for Georgia players.
15 – The most amount of Georgia players selected in one NFL Draft was 15 back in 2022.
20 > 8 – As stated above, Georgia has had 20 first-round draft picks that played for Smart. In that same time period, Georgia Tech has had 8 NFL Draft picks TOTAL, and only 1 in the first 4 rounds.
35 – In the latest Walter Football mock draft (April 22nd), CJ Allen will just miss being a first-round draft pick and be taken 35th overall by the Tennessee Titans. The Titans/Houston Oilers have a history of picking Georgia linebackers. Four of the eight picks of Georgia players taken from that franchise in their history have been linebackers (John Brantley, Rennie Curran, D’Andre Walker, and Monty Rice).
76 – There have been 76 NFL Draft picks of Georgia players in the Smart era.
422 – According to Pro Football Reference, Georgia has had 422 players selected in the NFL Draft.
1988 – The last time the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took a Dawg who played offense strictly for Georgia was under Vince Dooley. Lars Tate was taken in the second round in 1988 by the Bucs.
1992 – 1992 was the last NFL Draft in which no Georgia Bulldogs were selected.
2011 – The Dallas Cowboys have the longest drought by a team without selecting a Georgia player in the NFL Draft. The last Bulldog taken by that team was in 2011 when they chose Shaun Chapas in the seventh round.