Georgia’s defense dominated the first round of the NFL draft 3 1/2 months after whipping Alabama in the national championship game. The surprising part was that…
Georgia’s defense dominated the first round of the NFL draft 3 1/2 months after whipping Alabama in the national championship game. The surprising part was that linebacker Nakobe Dean wasn’t among the Bulldogs whose names were called Thursday night. Dean, who watched a half dozen of his ex-teammates selected in the first round, is among the top prospects on the board Friday night in Round 2. At 5-foot-11 and 229 pounds, Dean is smaller than some personnel evaluators prefer, but his coverage skills, speed and toughness could make him an ideal fit for a team in today’s pass-heavy NFL. The first round began and ended with selections from the Bulldogs’ defense and included three of their teammates in between, breaking the record of four set by Miami in 2004 and matched by Florida State in 2006. Defensive end Travon Walker was taken first overall by Jacksonville. Defensive tackle Jordan Davis went No.13 to Philadelphia. Green Bay took linebacker Quay Walker with pick No.22 and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt at No.28. Minnesota capped Round 1 by selecting safety Lewis Cine. Plus, edge rusher Jermaine Johnson, who transferred from Georgia to Florida State for his final season last year, went 26th to the New York Jets. The spotlight in Round 2 Friday night will be on Dean and Liberty’s Malik Willis, considered the passer with the most upside in this year’s otherwise thin crop of college quarterbacks.
