ATHENS — Kirby Smart has raised the bar in most every area at Georgia, with his staff’s player development at or near the top of the list.
CBS named nine players among its Top 150 NFL prospects — and Carson Beck isn’t even one of them.
Two-time All-American tight end Brock Bowers, who’s out indefinitely after ankle surgery, is the top-rated draft prospect at No. 4, per the CBS draft analysts.
Like Bowers, Amarius Mims has undergone tight rope surgery and missed time and is also a projected first-round pick at No. 23 overall.
Cornerback Kamari Lassiter is the other early consensus No. 1 pick per early draft prognostications, No 30 on the CBS list.
The Bulldogs tied Alabama for the most draft picks in the 2023 NFL Draft with 10, and they will likely produce more than that in the 2024 NFL Draft — perhaps even approaching their record 15 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
In addition to the three projected first-round picks, CBS sports also ranks:
• ILB Smael Mondon, No. 47
• SS Javon Bullard, No. 64
• OC Sedrick Van Pran, No. 65
• DT Nazir Stackhouse, No. 67
• DB Tykee Smith, No. 77
• Jamon Dumas-Johnson, No. 111
Beck has been projected as anywhere from a first- to third-round NFL pick, should he decide to declare himself eligible for the draft after this season.
Other Georgia players who could be selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, should they declare, include …
• WR Ladd McConkey
• RB Daijun Edwards
• RB Kendall Milton
• DT Zion Logue
• OL Xavier Truss
• OG Tate Ratledge
• WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint
• DE Tramel Walthour