Georgia has become a factory for defensive backs. The Bulldogs have had multiple defensive backs taken in each of the last four NFL drafts, with Kamari Lassiter, Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith being the latest three models off the assembly line.
All three players were drafted on Friday night. Lassiter was the first off the board, landing with the Houston Texans at pick No. 42. Javon Bullard became the newest Green Bay Packer, as he was taken with the No. 58 overall pick. Tykee Smith had to wait a little while longer, but he will now play for Todd Bowles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
What is perhaps most impressive isn’t that Georgia continues to build NFL-caliber defensive backs. But in the 2024 NFL Draft cycle, it was that none of the three defensive backs were seen as elite NFL prospects when they arrived at Georgia.
The Bulldogs recruit better than just about anybody. In the 2024 signing class, the Bulldogs signed the No. 1 ranked cornerback and the No. 1 ranked safety in Ellis Robinson and KJ Bolden. Elite recruits enter the program at nearly the same rate players depart as NFL draft prospects.
Lassiter, Bullard and Smith were not that though. That each became a top NFL draft pick speaks to their own ability, as well as Kirby Smart’s eye for talent.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban spoke on the ESPN telecast about how the Crimson Tide didn’t offer Lassiter, despite the cornerback playing his high school football in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Bulldogs were late to the party in terms of recruiting Lassiter but they secured his services.
“We tried to play him at DB, wasn’t natural, but this guy is really really a good football player,” Saban said. “He’s a good tackler, a good reacter, he’s physical. He’s one of those guys that may move inside and his better career may be playing STAR/nickel or playing safety. This guy’s a good player. I really like him. He’s got great character. They love him at Georgia.”
He blossomed into a two-year starter and All-SEC defensive back. He was rated as the No. 239 overall prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle.
Of the four defensive backs Georgia signed in that cycle, only Bullard was ranked lower. He was seen as the No. 634 overall player coming out of high school.
Bullard and Lassiter were both members of the 2021 recruiting cycle, which was greatly impacted by COVID-19. It was more difficult to see prospects and thus there was greater risk involved in taking one.
Yet both made huge plays for Georgia. Bullard was the defensive MVP in both of Georgia’s College Football Playoff games in 2022. His ability to cover and make plays on the ball was routinely praised on draft night.
“I think this guy really grew into a player that Kirby Smart and the defensive coaches really began to trust,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit said. “A guy that you can see the versatility, he can play in a lot of different spots. He’s a faster guy than you might expect. He’s known for his physicality, one of the best safeties in man coverage in the entire draft. You can do a lot of different things with him.”
Smith arrived at the same time as Lassiter and Bullard, though he already had two years of college football under his belt in his time at West Virginia. The thought was that he would round his skills into shape and leave Georgia after just one season.
But a foot and then an ACL injury forced Smith to miss most of the 2021 season. He spent most of 2022 trying to get back to where he was.
It wasn’t until 2023 that Smith fully returned to form. He led Georgia’s defense in tackles, tackles for loss and interceptions, despite playing with so many 5-star prospects.
No player on Georgia’s roster helped their stock more than Smith did over the past year.
“Tykee Smith will absolutely bring the pain to you,” ESPN’s Louis Riddick said. “You want to challenge him in coverage? He can play these two-man schemes. Georgia is known for its double-high safety concepts, whether it be cover 4 or two-man. He had great instincts doing it. This guy just packs an absolute punch. And think about the tradition of star defenders there in Tampa Bay. He fits the bill.”
Georgia has a number of bodies it can throw at the problem. There are 5-star prospects such as Bolden and Robinson. Then there’s transfer Jake Pope and former 4-star cornerback Daniel Harris.
The Bulldogs have a wealth of options in the secondary. And whoever ends up winning those jobs will in all likelihood be pretty good. Georgia’s recent track record of success so clearly demonstrates that.
