ATHENS — Georgia accentuated the biggest talent reload in college football history with a perfect 13-0 mark through the SEC Championship Game.
Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs, who had a record 15 players plucked off last season’s national championship team, have their sights on another CFP Championship and beyond that another earth-shaking NFL draft class.
Georgia is projected to match Ohio State and Alabama with four first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, per a recent two-round USA Today mock draft.
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Bulldogs defensive tackle Jalen Carter is projected to go No. 2 overall — behind Alabama QB Bryce Young.
Later in the first and second round, the projections for Georgia players are:
• CB Kelee Ringo (15th)
• OT Broderick Jones (18th)
• TE Darnell Washington (20th)
Second round
• OLB Nolan Smith (37th)
• OC Sedrick Van Pran (52nd)
Georgia had five first-round picks last year and a total of seven through the first two rounds.
The Bulldogs could match that if tailback Kenny McIntosh moves into the top two rounds. McIntosh has the potential to improve his stock with the remaining games this season as well as at an all-star game, the NFL combine and UGA Pro Day.
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NFL scouts will indeed be watching closely when Georgia plays Ohio State at 8 p.m. on Dec. 31 in the CFP Peach Bowl Semifinal.
The Buckeyes, like the Bulldogs, have four projected first-round picks, though one of them has opted out of the game:
• QB C.J, Stroud (4)
• OT Paris Johnson Jr. (6)
• OT Dawand Jones (28)
• WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba (29)* Opt-Out
The Crimson Tide, which did not make the playoff, has four players projected in the first-round:
• Bryce Young (1)
• Will Anderson (3)
• Brian Branch (17
• Jahmyr Gibbs (31)
Georgia first-round picks under Kirby Smart
2022
DE Travon Walker (1, Jacksonville)
DT Jordan Davis (13, Philadelphia
LB Quay Walker (22, Green Bay)
DT Devonte Wyatt (28, Green Bay)
FS Lewis Cine (32, Minnesota)
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2021
CB Eric Stokes (29, Green Bay)
2020
OT Andrew Thomas (4, N.Y. Giants)
OT Isaiah Wilson (29, Tennessee)
2019
CB Deandre Baker (30, N.Y. Giants)
2018
LB Roquan Smith (8, Chicago)
OT Isaiah Wynn (23, New England)
NFL Picks by teams, over past four draft classes:
• Georgia 38
• Alabama 36
• Ohio State 35
• LSU 32
• Michigan 28