Georgia's Preseason Defensive MVPs
Georgia Football's defense has been just as disrespected by some preseason All-American teams as the offense.
Just like with the offensive MVPs list, we're not going to dwell on the disrespect. Instead, we'll highlight the MVPs at each area of the Bulldogs defense.
Defensive End Travon Walker
After two seasons as a key backup, Walker assumes the starting defensive end position this season. His skill set could make him the best defensive end of the Kirby Smart era, at least statistically. Walker is a better pass rusher than the ends that played before him and he's also athletic enough to cover some pass-catchers downfield.
Defensive Tackle Jalen Carter
Freshmen defensive linemen shouldn't be capable of dominating and overwhelming their opponents at the line of scrimmage. But that's exactly what Carter did last year. As he continues to develop physically and fundamentally, he will become an even greater force to reckon with.
Nose Guard Jordan Davis
Davis is perhaps the best defensive lineman in the SEC. He shocked everyone by returning for his senior year, possibly passing up a first-round NFL Draft selection. Davis will never lead Georgia in tackles, but his love and ability to force double-team blocks makes life easy for all his teammates.
Outside Linebacker: Adam Anderson
As a backup edge rusher, Anderson still found a way to make 6.5 sacks and 24 quarterback hurries. He's a relentless pass rusher that opposing offenses have to game-plan for. Anderson worked on his pass coverage in the spring, which could allow Georgia to play seven-man fronts on occasion.
Inside Linebacker: Nakobe Dean
Georgia's defense revolves around an inside linebacker that can play all over the field. This year, that linebacker is Dean. He led Georgia with 71 tackles a year ago with stops coming at all areas of the field. There really isn't a weakness in Dean's game. He plugs holes in the running game, seems to always know where the play is going and can hang with most receivers on short-to-intermediate routes.
STAR: Tykee Smith
Georgia exited the 2020 season with a glaring weakness in the defensive backfield. Smith, a West Virginia transfer, was the first step towards alleviating that weakness. Smith earned All-American honors last year for his role in West Virginia's vaunted pass defense. Smith will dominate in the middle of the field, especially around the line of scrimmage.
Cornerback: Derion Kendrick
The second step towards fixing the weakness in the defensive backfield was the Clemson transfer. He's excellent in man coverage because he rarely loses leverage and he has good ball skills. However, quarterbacks don't throw his way very often.
Safety: Lewis Cine
Cine is Georgia's most experienced returning player in the defensive backfield. He started all 10 games as a sophomore last year after appearing in 14 games as a freshman. Cine is a rangy safety with fantastic closing speed that he puts to good use against the run and short passes.
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