Four former Georgia high school players went in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday in Las Vegas, each the first in his school’s history.
Travon Walker, a former all-state football and basketball player at Upson-Lee, went No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Walker’s selection marked the second straight year that a Georgia player gone No. 1 overall, both taken by the Jaguars, who selected Cartersville quarterback Trevor Lawrence first in 2021.
Walker, a defensive end from Georgia and a former AJC Super 11 pick, is the fourth Georgia player to go No. 1 overall. The others were Cam Newton from Westlake in 2011 and George Rogers of Duluth in 1981.
Also going in the first round from the state were Marist’s Kyle Hamilton, Crisp County’s Quay Walker and Towers’ Devonte Wyatt. All four were first-team all-state players. Quay Walker and Hamilton won classification player-of-the-year awards in high school. Hamilton and Travon Walker were AJC preseason Super 11 picks.
Georgia’s four is tied for third-most in state history. A record six went in 2021 and five in 2005.
Only California, with five, had more first-round picks than Georgia this year.
Below are the 94 players in state history that have gone in the first round of the NFL Draft.
2022 ... 1 ... Travon Walker ... DE ... Upson-Lee ... Georgia ... Jaguars
2022 ... 14 ... Kyle Hamilton ... S ... Marist ... Notre Dame ... Eagles
2022 ... 22 ... Quay Walker ... LB ... Crisp County ... Georgia ... Packers
2022 ... 28 ... Devonte Wyatt ... DE ... Towers ... Georgia ... Packers
2021 ... 1 ... Trevor Lawrence ... QB ... Cartersville ... Clemson ... Jaguars
2021 ... 8 ... Jaycee Horn ... CB ... Alpharetta ... South Carolina ... Panthers
2021 ... 11 ... Justin Fields ... QB ... Harrison ... Ohio State ... Bears
2021 ... 19 ... Jamin Davis ... LB ... Long County ... Kentucky ... Washington
2021 ... 27 ... Rashod Bateman ... WR ... Tift County ... Minnesota ... Ravens
2021 ... 29 ... Eric Stokes ... CB ... Eastside ... Georgia ... Packers
2020 ... 4 ... Andrew Thomas ... OT ... Pace Academy ... Georgia ... Giants
2020 ... 7 ... Derrick Brown ... DT ... Lanier ... Auburn ... Panthers
2020 ... 16 ... A.J. Terrell ... CB ... Westlake ... Clemson ... Falcons
2019 ... 26 ... Montez Sweat ... DE ... Stephenson ... Mississippi State ... Redskins
2018 ... 5 ... Bradley Chubb ... DE ... Hillgrove ... N.C. State ... Broncos
2018 ... 8 ... Roquan Smith ... LB ... Macon County ... Georgia ... Bears
2017 ... 12 ... Deshaun Watson ... QB ... Gainesville ... Clemson ... Texans
2017 ... 21 ... Jarrad Davis ... ILB ... Camden County ... Florida ... Lions
2017 ... 23 ... Evan Engram ... TE ... Hillgrove ... Mississippi ... Giants
2016 ... 9 ... Leonard Floyd ... LB ... Dodge County ... Georgia ... Bears
2016 ... 12 ... Sheldon Rankins ... DT ... Eastside ... Louisville ... Saints
2016 ... 29 ... Robert Nkemdiche ... DT ... Grayson ... Ole Miss ... Cardinals
2015 ... 8 ... Vic Beasley ... LB/DE ... Adairsville ... Clemson ... Falcons
2015 ... 19 ... Cameron Erving ... OL ... Colquitt County ... Florida State ... Browns
2015 ... 22 ... Bud Dupree ... LB/DE ... Wilkinson County ... Kentucky ... Steelers
2015 ... 26 ... Breshad Perriman ... WR ... Arabia Mountain ... Central Florida
2014 ... 19 ... Ju’Wuan James ... OT ... North Gwinnett ... Tennessee ... Dolphins
2014 ... 24 ... Darqueze Dennard ... CB ... Twiggs County ... Michigan State ... Bengals
2014 ... 26 ... Marcus Smith ... DE ... Hardaway ... Louisville ... Eagles
2014 ... 31 ... Bradley Roby ... CB ... Peachtree Ridge ... Ohio State ... Broncos
2013 ... 10 ... Chance Warmack ... G ... Westlake ... Alabama ... Titans
2013 ... 17 ... Jarvis Jones ... LB ... Carver (Columbus) ... Georgia ... Steelers
2013 ... 30 ... Alec Ogletree ... LB ... Newnan ... Georgia ... Rams
2012 ... 15 ... Bruce Irvin ... DE ... Stephenson ... West Virginia ... Seahawks
2011 ... 1 ... Cam Newton ... QB ... Westlake ... Auburn ... Panthers
2011 ... 25 ... James Carpenter ... OT ... Hephzibah ... Alabama ... Seahawks
2011 ... 31 ... Cameron Heyward ... DE ... Peachtree Ridge ... Ohio State ... Steelers
2010 ... 5 ... Eric Berry ... FS ... Creekside ... Tennessee ... Chiefs
2010 ... 20 ... Kareem Jackson ... CB ... Westside (Macon) ... Alabama ... Texans
2010 ... 22 ... Demaryius Thomas ... WR ... West Laurens ... Georgia Tech ... Broncos
2008 ... 11 ... Leodis McKelvin ... CB ... Ware County ... Troy ... Bills
2007 ... 2 ... Calvin Johnson ... WR ... Sandy Creek ... Georgia Tech ... Lions
2005 ... 2 ... Ronnie Brown ... RB ... Cartersville ... Auburn ... Dolphins
2005 ... 6 ... Adam Jones ... CB ... Westlake ... West Virginia ... Titans
2005 ... 9 ... Carlos Rogers ... CB ... Butler ... Auburn ... Redskins
2005 ... 14 ... Thomas Davis ... LB ... Randolph-Clay ... Georgia ... Panthers
2005 ... 17 ... David Pollack ... LB ... Shiloh ... Georgia ... Bengals
2004 ... 10 ... Dunta Robinson ... CB ... Clarke Central ... South Carolina ... Texans
2004 ... 25 ... Ahmad Carroll ... CB ... Douglass ... Arkansas ... Packers
2003 ... 6 ... Johnathan Sullivan ... DT ... Griffin ... Georgia ... Saints
2003 ... 18 ... Calvin Pace ... DE ... Lithia Springs ... Wake Forest ... Cardinals
2003 ... 20 ... George Foster ... OT ... Southwest (Macon) ... Georgia ... Broncos
2002 ... 25 ... Charles Grant ... DE ... Miller County ... Georgia ... Saints
2001 ... 13 ... Marcus Stroud ... DT ... Brooks County ... Georgia ... Jaguars
2001 ... 18 ... Jeff Backus ... OT ... Norcross ... Michigan ... Lions
2000 ... 5 ... Jamal Lewis ... RB ... Douglass ... Tennessee ... Ravens
1999 ... 7 ... Champ Bailey ... CB ... Charlton County ... Georgia ... Redskins
1999 ... 18 ... Matt Stinchcomb ... OT ... Parkview ... Georgia ... Raiders
1998 ... 12 ... Keith Brooking ... LB ... East Coweta ... Georgia Tech ... Falcons
1998 ... 13 ... Takeo Spikes ... LB ... Washington County ... Auburn ... Bengals
1998 ... 18 ... Robert Edwards ... RB ... Washington County ... Georgia ... Patriots
1996 ... 13 ... Walt Harris ... CB ... LaGrange ... Mississippi State ... Bears
1995 ... 22 ... Tyrone Poole ... CB ... LaGrange ... Fort Valley State ... Panthers
1995 ... 25 ... Billy Milner ... OT ... Northside-Atlanta ... Houston ... Dolphins
1993 ... 3 ... Garrison Hearst ... RB ... Lincoln County ... Georgia ... Cardinals
1993 ... 6 ... Eric Curry ... DE ... Thomasville ... Alabama ... Buccaneers
1992 ... 20 ... Dale Carter ... DB ... Newton ... Tennessee ... Chiefs
1991 ... 8 ... Antone Davis ... OG ... Peach County ... Tennessee ... Eagles
1991 ... 15 ... Huey Richardson ... DT ... Lakeside-DeKalb ... Florida ... Steelers
1991 ... 20 ... Kelvin Pritchett ... DT ... Therrell ... Mississippi ... Cowboys
1990 ... 21 ... Eric Green ... TE ... Beach ... Liberty ... Steelers
1990 ... 22 ... Ben Smith ... CB ... Warner Robins ... Georgia ... Eagles
1990 ... 25 ... Dexter Carter ... RB ... Appling County ... Florida State ... 49ers
1988 ... 7 ... Sterling Sharpe ... WR ... Glennville ... South Carolina ... Packers
1987 ... 22 ... Harris Barton ... OL ... Dunwoody ... North Carolina ... 49ers
1985 ... 24 ... Alvin Toles ... LB ... Mary Persons ... Tennessee ... Saints
1984* ... 19 ... Freddie Gilbert ... DL ... Griffin ... Georgia ... Broncos
1983 ... 19 ... Joey Browner ... DB ... Southwest Atlanta ... Southern Cal ... Vikings
1983 ... 18 ... Willie Gault ... WR ... Griffin ... Tennessee ... Bears
1982 ... 3 ... Chip Banks ... LB ... Laney ... Southern Cal ... Browns
1982 ... 6 ... Jeff Bryant ... LB ... Gordon ... Clemson ... Seahawks
1982 ... 13 ... Lindsay Scott ... WR ... Wayne County ... Georgia ... Saints
1981 ... 1 ... George Rogers ... RB ... Duluth ... South Carolina ... Saints
1981 ... 24 ... James Brooks ... RB ... Warner Robins ... Auburn ... Chargers
1979 ... 15 ... Eddie Lee Ivery ... RB ... Thomson ... Georgia Tech ... Packers
1979 ... 26 ... Kent Hill ... OL ... Southwest Atlanta ... Georgia Tech ... Rams
1979 ... 27 ... Robert Shaw ... OL ... Wheeler ... Tennessee ... Cowboys
1973 ... 24 ... J.T. Thomas ... DB ... Lanier (Macon) ... Florida State ... Steelers
1972 ... 8 ... Royce Smith ... OL ... Groves ... Georgia ... Saints
1971 ... 14 ... Clarence Scott ... LB ... Trinity ... Kansas State ... Browns
1970 ... 12 ... John Small ... LB/DL ... Richmond Academy ... Citadel ... Falcons
1969 ... 11 ... Bill Stanfill ... DL ... Cairo ... Georgia ... Dolphins
1961 ... 8 ... Ken Rice ... DL ... Bainbridge ... Auburn ... Cardinals
1955 ... 7 ... Larry Morris ... LB ... Decatur ... Georgia Tech ... Rams
*Supplemental draft.
About the Author
