Fourteen Bulldogs will return to Indianapolis, where the team won its national title Jan. 10, for the NFL scouting combine.
Georgia will be the most-represented university at the combine, scheduled for March 1-7. Its 14 participants are three more than second-place Alabama and Oklahoma.
The Bulldogs’ acclaimed defense will be well represented with eight prospects. Fan favorite Jordan Davis is a massive run stuffer who helped set the tone up front. He’ll try to show NFL teams he can play a similar role in the pros, along with perhaps making more of an impact as a pass rusher.
Defensive linemen Devonte Wyatt and Travon Walker join Davis in Indianapolis. Wyatt was an energizer on the Georgia defense, and his outgoing personality should shine in team interviews. Walker is considered by some to be Georgia’s best prospect as an uber athletic, versatile pass rusher.
Linebackers Nakobe Dean, Channing Tindall and Quay Walker also will represent the Bulldogs. Dean, the defense’s leader, is a projected first-round pick. Tindall and Walker didn’t get as much attention, but both could be Day 2 selections. They were Georgia’s third and fourth leading tacklers, respectively. All three players are lauded for their speed.
Defensive backs Lewis Cine and Derion Kendrick will try to improve their stock. The hard-hitting Cine was Georgia’s defensive MVP in the national championship victory over Alabama. Kendrick, who arrived from Clemson before the season, became a key part of the secondary. He had two interceptions in the Orange Bowl against Michigan. He’ll have to address his past, which includes his dismissal from Clemson, but Kendrick should test well athletically.
From the Georgia offense, running backs Zamir White and James Cook, receiver George Pickens and offensive linemen Justin Shaffer and Jamaree Salyer were invited. White, a bruising power back, was Georgia’s leading rusher a year ago. Cook, whose older brother Dalvin is a Pro Bowl running back for the Vikings, will appeal to teams as a modern pass-catching back.
Pickens missed almost the entire season with a torn ACL. He played in the final four games, recording five catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. His only catch in the championship game was a 52-yarder. Pickens projects as a second rounder, though a productive combine could put him back in the first-round conversation.
Shaffer and Salyer are versatile offensive linemen who helped pave the path for Georgia’s rushing attack. While Shaffer is a guard, Salyer’s position will be debated. He played tackle and guard in college, including left tackle during Georgia’s title run, but physically he projects better as a guard (6-foot-2, 320 pounds by Senior Bowl measurements). Either way, he’s a hot commodity for his play and mean streak.
Punter Jake Camarda is the final Bulldog in Indianapolis. He averaged 45.8 yards on 187 punts across his college career, including a 46.7 average last season. Few punters are drafted each year, but Camarda is among the best in this class and could hear his name called Day 3.
Only one invitee from a Georgia college wasn’t a Bulldog. Georgia Tech safety Juanyeh Thomas will represent the Yellow Jackets. Thomas, who opted against entering the draft a year ago, drew attention at the East-West Shrine Bowl for a mammoth hit. Thomas was said to have a strong week in those practices.
In total, 38 players from Georgia colleges and high schools were invited to the combine.
The NFL draft, hosted in Las Vegas, begins April 28.
Georgians at the NFL combine
The NFL invited 38 players from Georgia colleges and high schools to its combine in Indianapolis from March 1-7. Here are the players:
Andrew Booth, DB, Clemson (Archer HS)
Jake Camarda, P, Georgia (Norcross HS)
Lewis Cine, DB, Georgia
James Cook, RB, Georgia
Yusuf Corker, DB, Kentucky (Woodland HS)
Jordan Davis, DL, Georgia
Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
Kingsley Enagbare, DL, South Carolina (Hapeville Charter Academy)
Joshua Ezeudu, OL, North Carolina (Archer HS)
Jeremiah Gemmel, LB, North Carolina (East Coweta HS)
Tyler Goodson, RB, Iowa (North Gwinnett HS)
Kyle Hamilton, DB, Notre Dame (Marist School)
Kevin Harris, RB, South Carolina (Bradwell Institute)
Connor Heyward, TE, Michigan State (Peachtree Ridge HS)
Christopher Hinton, DL, Michigan (Greater Atlanta Christian)
Derion Kendrick, DB, Georgia
DeAngelo Malone, DL, Western Kentucky (Cedar Grove HS)
Zakoby McClain, LB, Auburn (Valdosta HS)
Smoke Monday, DB, Auburn (Carver HS)
Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Maryland (Hillgrove HS)
Dylan Parham, OL, Memphis (Carrollton HS)
George Pickens, WR, Georgia
Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida (Bainbridge HS)
Jamaree Salyer, OL, Georgia and Pace Academy
Braylon Sanders, WR, Mississippi (Callaway HS)
Myjai Sanders, DL, Cincinnati (Camden County HS)
Justin Shaffer, OL, Georgia (Cedar Grove HS)
Lecitus Smith, OL, Virginia Tech (Fitzgerald HS)
Baylon Spector, LB, Clemson (Calhoun HS)
Juanyeh Thomas, DB, Georgia Tech
Channing Tindall, LB, Georgia
Quay Walker, LB, Georgia (Crisp Co. HS)
Travon Walker, DL, Georgia (Upson-Lee HS)
Jaylen Watson, DB, Washington State (Laney HS)
Zamir White, RB, Georgia
Malik Willis, QB, Liberty (Roswell HS, Westlake HS)
Jelani Woods, TE, Virginia (Cedar Grove HS)
Devonte Wyatt, DL, Georgia (Towers HS)
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