With 15 players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Georgia Bulldogs have officially set a new record for most players taken in a single draft class.
Fresh off winning their first national championship in over 40 years, and boasting the country’s top scoring defense, Bulldogs players heard their names called early and often. The previous high water mark in a 7 round draft was held jointly by LSU in 2020 and Ohio State in 2004.
But that was far from the only record Georgia set on Draft night. The Bulldogs also set a modern draft record when 5 defensive players were taken in the first round on Thursday.
Travon Walker (1), Jordan Davis (13), Quay Walker (22), Devonte Wyatt (28) and Lewis Cine (32) were all 1st round picks from Georgia’s record setting defense. For the weekend the school sent 8 defensive players, 6 offensive players and 1 special teamer to the NFL.
Overall it was another SEC heavy run at the Draft, as the conference saw 65 players selected, easily outpacing the Big 10 who had the 2nd most players drafted with 48. Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Green Bay went the most Bulldog heavy over the 3 day event selecting two Georgia players each.
Kirby Smart’s championship team could also see additional undrafted free agents sign with teams in the following days as Adam Anderson (EDGE), John Fitzpatrick (TE), and Derion Kendrik (DB) are currently in negotiations with NFL franchises.
Speaking earlier this season about his 2021 team, coach Smart remarked “This is a really athletic group, I don’t know that I’ve had an athletic front seven like this…We’ve been much deeper in the secondary. But, I don’t know that I’ve had a group as athletic as this group.”
This group of athletes saw Bulldogs players rank in the top 3 amongst all players in both the bench press, and vertical jump, while Jordan Davis had the best broad jump of any DT, and the second best 40 yard dash time at the position as well. The player he lost out to by 0.01seconds? His Georgia teammate Devonte Wyatt.
It was an historic weekend for Georgia football, and one that figures to produce several prominent contributors at the NFL level for years to come.