Georgia First-Round NFL Rookies Earn High Praise
Georgia sent three more first-round picks to the NFL this offseason, and as they go through the early stages of training camp, it seems they are adjusting well.
The selections of Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker, and Malaki Starks gave Georgia 20 first-round NFL Draft picks during the Kirby Smart era. The three selections also meant that Smart will enter the upcoming season with more first-round picks than he has losses at Georgia.
Mykel Williams
He was the first Bulldog off the board in the NFL Draft as the San Francisco 49ers took him No. 11 overall. With that comes big expectations, and despite those, Williams is already impressing.
When speaking with the media Thursday, All-Pro offensive tackle Trent Williams lavished the younger Williams with praise.
“Mykel is a huge dude, man,” Williams said of his first impressions of the former Bulldog. “You generally don’t see guys that size on the edge. It sucks having to base block guys whose arms are long as your legs, but I think he has a chance to be a really good player in the NFL.”
But Williams didn’t stop at just a “really good player.” Williams took it a step further and said he sees All-Pro potential.
“I think he has a chance to be dominant,” Williams said. “He has the best coach in the league coaching him. Gets to learn from some of the best, from obviously Nick. I’m happy to see how he turns out. I think he has all the tools to be an All-Pro.”
Jalon Walker
It may have taken a few years before Georgia found exactly where Walker fit best on its defense. But it hasn’t taken long for Walker’s NFL teammates to notice that he is special.
“The sky is the limit for that kid. He’s got so much potential,” Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss said of Walker on Wednesday.
As for his role, Walker told reporters Thursday that most of his work has been with the outside linebackers.
Malaki Starks
There may not have been a better introduction to Starks as a true freshman than the acrobatic interception he made in his Georgia debut versus Oregon. That proved to be just a preview of the kind of playmaker that Georgia would have on the backend of its defense for three years.
Now, as he transitions to the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, it seems that his playmaking ability has translated.
“He’s super-talented. I honestly think he’s miles ahead of where I was at that point,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said of Starks. “Once it all clicks for him, he’s going to be one of the best in the league. He does amazing stuff without even trying and probably doesn’t even know that he’s doing it. I think he knows the playbook more than I did, he’s confident out there. He’s just so willing to learn.”