It’s something that has rankled Georgia Bulldogs football supporters for decades. The state’s NFL franchise passes over the best prospects from UGA on draft day, then those players go on to help franchises in other states win more than the Falcons. Philadelphia’s victory over the Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Sunday adds more fuel to that long-simmering fire.
The Eagles beat the Chiefs with a strong defensive effort against Patrick Mahomes. The unit included three ex-Bulldogs in the starting lineup: tackles Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, and linebacker Nolan Smith. They are among the record five defensive players from the same school to be selected in consecutive NFL drafts by the same team. The other two are Eagles special-teamer Kelee Ringo and starting linebacker Nakobe Dean, who missed the Super Bowl because of injury.
Meanwhile, the Falcons have never drafted a UGA player in the first round. The highest pick they’ve used on an ex-Bulldog was in the third round (Scott Woerner in 1981, Akeem Dent in 2011). The Falcons didn’t draft any UGA players at all from 2012 through 2021. Georgia turns out more NFL talent now than they did back then, yet the Falcons still don’t draft the best players from Kirby Smart’s football factory in Athens. Three of their late-round picks from UGA in recent drafts aren’t on the roster.
There’s no conspiracy here. It’s absurd to believe that Falcons executives and coaches are not drafting players they like because they happen to come from UGA. Examine the decisions individually and there’s usually an obvious reason the Falcons picked another player. Look at the choice of Bijan Robinson over Carter in the 2023 draft.
The Falcons picked Robinson eighth. The Eagles took Carter with the next pick. Robinson was widely considered to be the second-best player in his draft behind Carter. He also didn’t come with as much baggage. Carter was involved in the January 2023 auto accident in Athens that killed two people, including UGA teammate Devon Willock and team staffer Chandler LeCroy. Carter raised more red flags when he appeared out of shape for his Pro Day in Athens and didn’t finish his workout.
After the draft, Falcons executive Kyle Smith said it was an “easy” decision to take Robinson over Carter. It shouldn’t have been. The Falcons had been bad on defense for a long time and still are. The Eagles decided Carter was worth the risk, and it has paid off for them so far. Carter was second in defensive rookie-of-the-year voting and was All-Pro this season.
No doubt, Robinson is a very good running back. He was added to this year’s Pro Bowl team as a replacement for Saquon Barkley, who regularly produces the long touchdown runs that have eluded Robinson. But Carter already is an elite defensive player. The Falcons may have had good reasons to pass on Carter, but the bottom line is he would have helped their defense finally be good.
The same goes for Dean, the No. 83 pick by the Eagles in 2022. Pro Football Focus ranked Dean as the eight-best pass rusher among linebackers during the 2024 season. The Falcons selected edge rusher DeAngelo Malone one pick before Dean. He’s yet to start a game and played only 90 defensive snaps in 2024. Dean is facing a tough recovery from patellar tendon surgery, but he’s a good starter when he’s healthy. He’s the kind of pass rusher the Falcons lack.
At least the Robinson-over-Carter decision worked out relatively well for the Falcons. They’ve had much bigger misses when passing on ex-Bulldogs.
Ex-UGA star wide receiver Hines Ward was available when the Falcons were picking in the third round of the 1998 draft. They took Miami wide receiver Jammi German instead. German went on to play four forgettable seasons in the NFL. Ward was selected for four Pro Bowl teams during his 14-year career and won two Super Bowls with the Steelers.
Ex-Bulldogs star running back Todd Gurley was available when the Falcons took Clemson edge rusher Vic Beasley with the No. 8 pick of the 2015 draft. The Rams used the No. 10 pick to select Gurley, who went on to become the offensive rookie of the year and the 2017 offensive player of the year. Injuries shortened Gurley’s career, but he still had a better run than one-year wonder Beasley.
The Falcons are going to have a chance to draft top prospects from Georgia again this year. The top three are all defenders: safety Malaki Starks, defensive end Mykel Williams and linebacker Jalon Walker. Starks might be gone by the time the Falcons pick at 15th. Williams and Walker should be available, though Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said trading down is a possibility.
Last week, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman told AJC Falcons beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter that he didn’t set out to pick so many ex-Bulldogs. It was just the way the draft fell. It worked out for the Eagles. Maybe the Falcons should take a lesson and look closer look at UGA’s top prospects.
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