The Georgia Bulldogs made history on Day 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft.
They closed Day 3 of the draft with another record broken. With the 2022 NFL Draft's Saturday conclusion, Georgia officially reset the all-time high mark for most players selected in a seven-round draft with 15.
The Bulldogs only needed six rounds to rewrite history. The consecutive selections of cornerback Derion Kendrick and tight end John FitzPatrick at pick Nos. 212 and 213 in the sixth round (two of four Georgia prospects taken in the sixth) pushed the total to 15.
It shouldn't come as a huge surprise. The Bulldogs were littered with talent on both sides of the ball, and especially on defense, as evidenced by both their College Football Playoff National Championship and their record-breaking five defenders selected in the first round.
The three-day-long run on Georgia players began with the very first pick when the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Bulldogs edge rusher Travon Walker No. 1 overall. Defensive tackle Jordan Davis went 12 picks later, while linebacker Quay Walker, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt and defensive back Lewis Cine rounded out the group of first-rounders.
Linebacker Nakobe Dean, widely regarded as a first-round prospect, might have made that record-breaking group of five into six had he not fallen out of the first two rounds. No matter to the purpose of this digital space, though, as Dean was eventually selected in the third round by the Philadelphia Eagles.
With the 2021 national title, Georgia coach Kirby Smart accomplished a goal that might earn him a statue in Athens, Georgia, and certainly cemented him as a man who will never have to pay for his own drink in town. What happened in Las Vegas might end up being even more important to his program over the long haul, though, as it's very easy to sell a recruit on a long list of players Smart has sent to the NFL. He has 15 new names to add to that group after the 2022 draft.
