Georgia Athletics Set to Have Historic Draft Season
Baseball, Basketball, and Football. Far and away the three major market sports in America for the last century or so, with not much set to change in the near future.
And though the University of Georgia is perennially known for just their football program in that trio of major sports, that hasn't stopped them from producing some elite talent in both baseball and basketball.
The Georgia athletic program has a legitimate shot at doing something that no other program has done in the modern drafting world, which is to have a Top-10 draft pick in each of those three major sports.
Let's start with the seemingly guarantees:
Anthony Edwards:
Known more commonly as "Ant-Man," Edwards is a lock to be a Top-5 draft pick and has a legitimate shot at being the first-ever #1 overall NBA draft pick out of UGA. Dominique Wilkins was 3rd overall in the 1982 draft, and the most recent Top-10 pick from the school was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who was taken 8th overall in 2013.
And though the success in the win column hasn't quite come to fruition in Athens, Tom Crean will still be able to show the next in-state star, that staying at Georgia is a profitable decision when it comes to maintaining your draft stock.
Emerson Hancock:
Bulldog Maven spoke to Cole Collazo from Baseball America who runs their MLB draft coverage and he believes that Hancock also has a shot at #1 overall in this summer's MLB draft. However, MLB circles are finding college bats to be more reliable than right-handed arms, so it's a slim chance that he goes number one, but he is a bonafide Top-5 pick in this draft.
Andrew Thomas
Every year there seem to be "no brainer" prospects that get over scouted and subsequently fall in the "Mock Drafts," only to remain in the draft positioning they started in. Andrew Thomas is that guy.
Ed Orgeron said at SEC Media availability prior to the SECCG (Thomas' last game) that Thoams was "Going to be a top-5 pick." And now, due to a bit of over scouting, Thomas is continuously falling further and further down the Mock Draft boards. However, when all is said and done he's still going to be the safest bet at the tackle spot in this year's NFL Draft which and could very easily remain in the Top-10 selections.
To my knowledge, the only SEC program to come close to doing something even remotely similar to what Georgia has an opportunity to do this year is Kentucky just this past draft season.
They did have a player drafted in the first round of all three major sports, but the only player to go in the Top-10 was Josh Allen, the edge rusher who was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars 7th overall.
The only difference? Edwards, Hancock, and Thomas are ALL Peach State products. Born and raised here in Georgia, committed to the G, and shortly after were off into the early portion of the first round.
And that's not even mentioning Cole Wilcox who has the potential to make his way into the Top-10 range of the MLB draft as well.
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