"Back to the Well": A Noticeable Trend With Georgia Bulldogs in the NFL Draft
Many in the college and professional football world have noticed Kirby Smart's ability to recruit and develop elite talent into NFL-ready prospects. After all, the Georgia Bulldogs have had the most first-round picks in the previous two NFL Drafts. But the latest draft class of Bulldogs has revealed something rather interesting.
The state of Pennsylvania made a splash in the 2023 NFL Draft when the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers selected five of the ten total Bulldogs drafted. While the Eagles and Steelers were heavy with their selection of Bulldogs this year, this is not the first time it has happened.
A noticeable trend for NFL teams seems to be to "go back to the well" after drafting Georgia players the year before. Here is a full list of teams that have selected a Georgia Bulldog within the first two rounds in back-to-back years.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles earned the nickname "The Philadelphia Bulldogs" after they paired up Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean with former teammates (now first-round picks) Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith in this year's NFL Draft. The team also selected cornerback Kelee Ringo and traded for running back D'Andre Swift.
Pittsburgh Steelers
George Pickens became an instant meme during the 2022 NFL Draft with his reaction to the Steelers selecting him 52nd overall. But Pickens' popularity and production during the 2022 season likely was the leading factor in the team's selection of fellow Bulldog Broderick Jones as their first-round pick for the 2023 NFL Draft. They selected tight end Darnell Washington during round three as well.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Travon Walker made history when he became the first Bulldog of the Kirby Smart era to be selected as the No.1 overall pick during the 2022 NFL Draft. But the Jags also took cornerback Tyson Campbell the year prior as the first pick of the second round during the 2021 NFL Draft.
Green Bay Packers
Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes became the first Bulldog off the board in the 2021 NFL Draft when he was selected by Green Bay as the 29th pick. He would then be joined by fellow Bulldogs the next season when the Packers used both of their first-round picks on Bulldogs Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt during last year's draft in 2022.
New York Giants
The New York Giants selected Jim Thorpe Award winner Deandre Baker as the 30th overall pick during the 2019 NFL Draft. They then elected to anchor their offensive line the next year when they selected Georgia's offensive tackle Andrew Thomas as the fourth overall pick. The following season, the team decided to beef up their pass rush during the 2021 NFL draft when they selected Bulldogs edge rusher Azeez Ojulari as the 50th pick overall.
Other Georgia News:
- NCAA Adopts New Recruiting Rules for Visits
- Amarius Mims' "Time Has Come", Talks Through Growth at UGA
- How Georgia Could Make SEC History During the 2023 Season
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