Georgia’s 40 draft picks under Mark Richt
When Brandon Coutu was selected late in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL draft, he became the 40th Bulldog from a Mark Richt team to be drafted. Since 2002 Georgia has had as many as eight and no fewer than four players taken in each draft. There have been six first round selections, but only one Bulldog (Tim Jennings) has been drafted in the first or second rounds of the three most recent drafts.
2002 (8 total):
First round: Charles Grant
Third round: Will Witherspoon
Fourth round: Randy McMichael, Terreal Bierria
Fifth round: Jermaine Phillips, Verron Haynes
Seventh round: Josh Mallard, Tim Wansley
2003 (7 total):
First round: Jonathan Sullivan, George Foster
Second round: Boss Bailey, Jon Stinchcomb
Third round: Musa Smith
Sixth round: Tony Gilbert
Seventh round: J.T. Wall
2004 (4 total):
First round: Ben Watson
Second round: Sean Jones
Fourth round: Robert Geathers, Bruce Thornton
2005 (6 total):
First round: Thomas Davis, David Pollack
Second round: Reggie Brown, Odell Thurman
Third round: David Greene
Fourth round: Fred Gibson
2006 (7 total):
Second round: Tim Jennings
Third round: Leonard Pope
Fourth round: Max Jean-Gilles
Fifth round: Greg Blue, Demario Minter
Sixth round: Kedric Golston
Seventh round: D.J. Shockley
2007 (4 total):
Third round: Quention Moses, Charles Johnson
Fourth round: Martrez Milner
Sixth round: Charles Shackleford
2008 (4 total):
Fifth round: Marcus Howard
Sixth round: Thomas Brown
Seventh round: Chester Adams, Brandon Coutu
Defensive Line U.
To no one’s surprise, the Bulldogs have cranked out defensive linemen and defensive backs like few others. Nearly half (18) of Georgia’s 40 picks have come from those two units. The overall offense / defense split isn’t as drastic as some might expect (17 vs. 22), but the difference is in the first two rounds: eight defensive picks versus four from the offense. Given their relatively limited role on the field, it could be argued that Georgia has been most productive in terms of draft picks at the tight end spot.
Quarterback: 2
Tailbacks and fullbacks: 4
Tight ends: 4
Receivers: 2
Offensive linemen: 5
Defensive linemen: 9
Linebackers: 4
Defensive backs: 9
Kickers: 1
Stating the obvious
The past three drafts haven’t been as kind to the Bulldogs. From 2001 through 2005, the Bulldogs had at least one first round pick. They haven’t had one since, and Tim Jennings in 2006 has been Georgia’s only selection from the top two rounds since 2005. This slump is very likely to change as soon as the 2009 draft, but the results of the 2007 and 2008 drafts help to illustrate that there was more to the struggles of 2006 into 2007 than just the quarterback transition. It’s impressive that Georgia has sustained a high level of play over some lean draft years, but when you look over the national champions of the past few years high draft picks figure prominently. Having a few first round picks doesn’t necessarily lead to titles, but the inverse is usually true.
Draft Picks 2002-2005
Draft Picks 2006-2008
Comments
Dawg Media
RSS 2.0
2 Responses to 'Georgia’s 40 draft picks under Mark Richt'
Subscribe to comments with RSS
Thomas Brown
May 15th, 2008
4:18 am
I like the last point especially about the inverse being true. i.e., that those who do win titles, get their players high NFL Draft Pick status with the resultant high guarantee and signing bonus – thus, assuring themselves of a 53-man roster spot in the Fall.
Note please that only 3 other college football programs have more players in the NFL than UGA. Only Michigan, Ohio State and Florida State have more than The Georgia Bulldogs 37 on NFL Opening Day Rosters last season. None in The SEC have more than UGA.
The AJ-C tried to report that Georgia Tech would have more Drafted in the NFL Draft this season than UGA. In fact, 3 Tech players were drafted to the 4 for UGA. Tech has a grand total of 19 on NFL rosters today to UGA’s 55. Not all the 55 will make the Opening Day 53-man Rosters this Fall. But, then again not all the 19 Tech will either.
In the 11-year run of being the only college football program in America to be ranked in every single Final AP Poll every season back to 1997, Georgia has established itself as a program who plays tough schedules and wins games against Top 25 Ranked Teams.
This is what I believe to be why so many top high school football players nationwide want to play at UGA. They like playing tough schedules. They like the chance to be in the NFL, as a result.
Title ? What’s a title ? If we play the 7th toughest schedule last season and end up Number 2 in the Final AP Poll, and this year’s schedule looks even tougher, then we have the title I want – as I don’t care about Ohio State playing such easy opponents or Southern Cal last year too for example. I’m happy and content.
Florida was 1-4 last year against the Final AP Poll Top 25 teams, for example. Georgia was 3-1.
We lock up the Number 4 state in producing high school football players who go on to the NFL, the state of Georgia. The states California, Florida, Texas and then Georgia are the top states for producing high school football players who go on to play in the NFL.
Coach Richt has also secured key top high school football recruits nationally.
15 different states are represented on our roster.
UGA football players from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Virginia, Kansas, Illinois, New Jersey, Missouri and California were all listed on the 2007-2008 UGA Roster.
Thomas Brown
May 16th, 2008
4:50 am
After a season in which UGA returns our Starters back for next season (and the season after this season) Georgia has placed 9 UGA Football players into the NFL again this season.
As you point out above, four Bulldogs were drafted during the first seven rounds of the draft. Marcus Howard (161st pick – Indianapolis Colts), Thomas Brown (172nd pick – Atlanta Falcons), Chester Adams (222nd pick – Chicago Bears) and Brandon Coutu (235th pick – Seattle Seahawks.)
And, since the NFL draft 5 more have signed free agent contracts with NFL Football teams :
Three of the former Bulldogs signed with three teams from the NFC. Brandon Miller of Colquitt signed a contract with the Atlanta Falcons, Kregg Lumpkin of Lithonia signed with the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks picked up Kelin Johnson of Daytona Beach, Fla.
Two other Georgia lettermen signed contracts with a pair of AFC teams. Sean Bailey of Alpharetta signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and Fernando Velasco of Wrens signed a deal with the Tennessee Titans.
9 UGA Bulldogs with a shot to make their teams’ 53-man rosters.
In a season in which UGA lost no starters compared to every other football team in America.
These 9 join the NFL representing a college football program which already found only 3 college football programs in all of America with more than UGA in the NFL.
If that is not exciting news for Coach Richt’s recruits who have committed for 2009 already, I do not know what is exciting.