ATHENS — Georgia coach Kirby Smart is constantly on the lookout for complacency, but he needn’t worry about that where the initial player rankings from ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr. are concerned.
The Bulldogs, for all their talent, hype and high recruiting rankings, don’t have one Top 25 player on Kiper’s first 2022 NFL Draft “Big Board.”
Kiper ranked 11 SEC players on his Top 25 “Big Board,” including three players from Alabama and three players from Texas A&M, but not one Georgia football player.
The ESPN-plus paysite article also ranked the Top 10 players at each position.
Kiper listed and ranked plenty of Georgia football players in that section of the article.
The Bulldogs have been projected to set a school record for most players selected in one NFL draft in 2022, with 10 or more expected to be chosen. This, on the heels of producing an NFL draft class record of nine recently.
RELATED: A look ahead to 2022 NFL Draft, how JT Daniels has been doubted
Here’s a look at the UGA players who cracked the Top 10 in their position groups:
Quarterback
No. 7, JT Daniels
Note: Kiper has USC QB Kedon Slovis at No. 6. This is worth tracking through the season.
Running backs
No. 9, Zamir White
Note: Texas A&M has backs ranked No. 1 (Isaiah Spiller) and No. 3 (Ainias Smith). What has happened to RBU?
Receivers
No. 6 George Pickens
Note: Pickens is out indefinitely recovering from a torn ACL.
Offensive guards
No. 3 Jamaree Salyer
No. 9 Justin Shaffer
Note: Former Bulldog Cade Mays is ranked No. 6.
Defensive tackles
No. 5 Jordan Davis
Note: Alabama’s Phidarian Mathis is tops in SEC at No. 3 and Clemson’s Tyler Davis is No. 4.
Inside linebackers
No. 6 Nakobe Dean
No. 9 Quay Walker
Note: Can Dean be All-SEC with Alabama’s Christian Harris & Henry To’o To’o and Auburn’s Owen Pappoe ranked ahead of him?
Outside linebackers
No. 3 Adam Anderson
Note: Nolan Smith didn’t crack the Top 10, but that is likely because there’s not much film of the former No. 1-ranked recruit.
Safeties
No. 2 Tykee Smith
No. 9 Lewis Cine
Note: Kirby Smart coaches and develops NFL safeties, all the more puzzling Major Burns didn’t stay invested at UGA.
