MOBILE, Ala. – Under former general manager Thomas Dimitroff, the Falcons drafted only two players from Georgia and one from Georgia Tech over 13 drafts.
Former Georgia standout linebacker Akeem Dent was selected in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft, and running back Thomas Brown was picked in the sixth round of the 2008 draft.
Former Tech defensive tackle Vance Walker, who went on to make 32 starts and play in 104 NFL games, was selected in the seventh round of the 2009 draft.
With Georgia coming off its first national championship in 41 years, the Bulldogs have a strong contingent of players preparing for the draft, including six players at the Senior Bowl, which is set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of South Alabama.
Tech has one player in the Senior Bowl.
The local players are on the Falcons’ radar screen.
“Yeah, there’s some good football players at Georgia,” general manager Terry Fontenot said. “I appreciate (Georgia coach) Kirby (Smart). He was great with us last year. I know he’s been this year as well, and I couldn’t be more happy for them and excited for them with what they did.”
The Falcons didn’t draft any players from Tech or Georgia in Fontenot’s first draft.
“That’s a special place, and there’s some really good players there,” Fontenot said. “So, we’re going to make sure we know everything we can about them.”
Georgia running back James Cook pulled out of the Senior Bowl and linebacker Quay Walker was injured. Cook likely hurt his draft status with his no-show.
Defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt and guard Jamaree Salyer (he played left tackle in college) are the top Georgia prospects at the Senior Bowl.
Guard Justin Shaffer, linebacker Channing Tindall, cornerback Derion Kendrick and punter Jake Camarda are also set to play in the Senior Bowl.
Tech is represented by safety Tariq Carpenter.
“Everything has been great,” Salyer said. “Real smooth. I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a lot of meetings. A lot of interviews with teams, but you know, you enjoy this process because it’s something that you get to experience one time.”
Salyer, who measured at just over 6-foot-2 inches after being listed as 6-4 by Georgia, has practiced at center and right guard.
“I’ll be playing a lot on the interior,” Salyer said.
He’s being coached by the Detroit Lions’ coaching staff and has had to learn their playbook.
“Just the volume,” Salyer said. “It’s not actually a whole lot of plays, it’s just different. Football is football at the end of the day, but just learning different terminology that different teams use is new. I’ve been playing in UGA’s system for four years, you’ve got to retrain your brain and do it fast.”
Wyatt likely improved his draft status with a strong week of practice.
“Wyatt did exactly what I thought he would do here in Mobile,” NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah wrote. “He showed how dynamic and explosive he is, particularly in the one-on-one pass-rush drills. His combination of quickness and power was on display. He looked like a first-round pick.”
The Lions, who hold the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, are closely watching the Georgia and Tech players.
“Hopefully we can find a few guys here who can help us,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said.
One former Georgia player, defensive end Jermaine Johnson, had a strong week of practice. After transferring to Florida State, Johnson turned in a monster season with 12 sacks and 19 tackles for losses. He’s one of the top edge rushers in the draft. Johnson was roommates with Tindall for the Senior Bowl.
Also, Cincinnati defensive end Myjai Sanders, who played at Camden County High, had a strong week of practice.
South Carolina defensive end Kingsley Enagbar flashed speed and agility off the edge. He was the biggest surprise of the week, according to Jeremiah.
“He was dominant at the Senior Bowl, especially on the first two days of practice,” Jeremiah wrote. “He played really hard, using his leverage and length to win battles. Given the way he performed, I’ll be shocked if he’s not a second-round pick.”
The Falcons were heavily scouting the wide receivers and running backs.
Wide receivers Alex Pierce (Cincinnati) and Khalil Shakir (Boise State) were impressive.
Running backs Brian Robinson (Alabama), Dameon Pierce (Florida), Tyler Badie (Missouri) and Jamie Ford (Cincinnati) had strong weeks of practice. Pierce made some nice catches in the rain during Wednesday’s practice.
In 2021, there were six Senior Bowl players selected in the first round, 35 over the first three rounds, and 106 total picks, representing 41% of the entire draft.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter/AJC
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