Ranking the Georgia Tech NFL Draft Departures from Least to Most Impactful for 2026

The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone and while Georgia Tech did not see as many players drafted as they would have liked, they still had a player go in the first round for the first time since 2010 and had a slew of players sign with NFL teams as undrafted free agents with shots to make the roster.

There were 18 NFL departures from last year's Georgia Tech team. Which departures will hurt the most and which ones will hurt the least?

18. TE Brett Seither

Ranking a player down here does not mean I think they were a bad player, but with how Georgia Tech uses tight ends, I don't think they are going to be missing anyone at that position, especially since I think they upgraded with Gavin Harris, Chris Corbo, and Spencer Mermans, not to mention the emergence of Kevin Roche Jr. I think Georgia Tech is going to be just fine at tight end.

17. TE Josh Beetham

Beetham received an invite to Bills rookie minicamp

16. TE J.T. Byrne

Byrne received a rookie minicamp invite from the Philadelphia Eagles.

15. WR Dean Patterson

Patterson got an invite to the Buccaneers rookie minicamp, and he is going to have a chance to make their roster. Patterson had his moments with the Yellow Jackets, but finished with just eight catches for 150 yards. While Georgia Tech is going to have a lot of questions at receiver heading into the season, the Yellow Jackets may miss other guys there more.

14. P Marshall Nichols

Nichols was a solid punter for the Yellow Jackets, but I think special teams coach Tim Salem is going to have success in that area no matter what.

13. DL Matthew Alexander

Alexander played a role for the Yellow Jackets interior defensive line last season along with Jordan van den Berg and Akelo Stone. Of the three, Alexander was the last impactful and I think that Georgia Tech may have upgraded this offseason.

12. RB Jamal Haynes

If Georgia Tech had not landed Justice Haynes while already having Malachi Hosley, Haynes would be much higher. Haynes ranking lower on this list is indicative of Georgia Tech having one of the best running back rooms in the country for next season and they should be just as good, if not much better. Haynes signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.

11. DB Rodney Shelley

Shelley played a lot of snaps over four years for Georgia Tech and was a solid player. The Yellow Jackets brought in Jaylen Mbakwe and Jonas Duclona to replace him. Shelley signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.

10. DL Akelo Stone

While Stone was not healthy for every game last season, he did lead Georgia Tech in sacks last season with four and he was a pretty reliable player when in. The Yellow Jackets really tried to get bigger this offseason and I think they upgraded.

9. DB Omar Daniels

Daniels being here is because I think there are some questions about Georgia Tech's safety depth and they are losing a player that played a lot of snaps and had a lot of experience.

8. DB Clayton Powell-Lee

You can almost copy and paste my comments from above here. Georgia Tech is losing several players with experience at safety and a lot of the room now does not have a lot of snaps logged. Powell-Lee received a rookie minicamp invite from the Atlanta Falcons.

7. DB Jy Gilmore

Gilmore was a great portal addition last season and was one of the best defenders on this Georgia Tech team despite having a season-ending injury later in the year. Gilmore signed an undrafted free agent deal with Tampa Bay.

6. CB Ahmari Harvey

Harvey was the top cornerback for Georgia Tech a season ago and developed into a really good leader last season as well. After growing into one of the top cornerbacks in the ACC, Harvey signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Denver Broncos.

5. WR Malik Rutherford

Georgia Tech has loads of questions at receiver and losing Malik and what he brought both on and off the field is going to be tough. Rutherford is sticking around in Atlanta after signing a deal with the Falcons.

4. WR Eric Rivers

Again, Georgia Tech is missing a lot of experience at receiver, and Rivers was a really good deep threat for the Yellow Jackets. He is one of many former Georgia Tech players heading to Tampa Bay on an undrafted free agent deal.

3. DL Jordan van den Berg

van den Berg was drafted in the 6th round by the Chicago Bears and he had a big rise over the past few months after not being invited to the NFL Combine. A very good athlete at defensive tackle and strong in both run defense and pass rush, van den Berg is going to have a chance to stick with the defending NFC North champions.

2. OL Keylan Rutledge

Rutledge became the first Georgia Tech player drafted in the first round since 2010 and he is going to be sorely missed in Atlanta. Rutledge was the perfect player for the kind of attitude and culture Brent Key has instilled in the program and it won't be easy for the Yellow Jackets next season without Rutledge.

1. QB Haynes King

Yes, King was not drafted this weekend, but it is hard to quantify what he did for Georgia Tech as a player and leader, and while I think Alberto Mendoza is going to be just fine, replacing one of the best players in school history is a daunting task.

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