Georgia Draft Profile: Warren McClendon
It’s officially draft week in the NFL. Come Thursday, players from all across the College Football landscape will start to find their new homes. Last year that happened in record breaking fashion for the Georgia Bulldogs with 15 players picked. It won’t be quite that many this year, but Kirby Smart’s crew still should be well represented in the selections taking place over the course of three days in Kansas City.
With double-digit Georgia players expected to be picked, DawgsHQ prepares you by taking a look back on their respective collegiate careers with our Georgia Draft Profile series. Next up, the lineman who started the most games over the last three seasons, offensive tackle Warren McClendon.
Warren McClendon
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 306 pounds
Arms / Hands: 34 1/2 inches / 10 inches
High School / Hometown: Brunswick / Brunswick, Ga.
On3 Industry Ranking (2019): No. 182 overall, No. 18 offensive tackle, No. 22 in state of Georgia
Three-year starters on the offensive line are few and far between, especially in the SEC where the defensive linemen provide such a tough challenge. Well, Warren McClendon fits into the category having started games for Georgia in each of the last three years.
At one point in his career, McClendon trotted out with the first team in 38 straight. That streak came to an end in the College Football Playoffs this past season due to an injury he suffered in the SEC Championship Game. McClendon was still able to suit up but watched as Amarius Mims gave the Bulldogs their best chance to beat Ohio State. Still, McClendon earned a spot on the Coaches’ All-SEC First Team for the season.
McClendon first came onto the scene in the season-opener of the 2020 campaign against Arkansas. Just like Stetson Bennett did, McClendon entered for a struggling starter at his position and helped save the day for the Dawgs who were trailing to a team hadn’t won an SEC game in two seasons. The streak started in the next outing against Auburn and continued through the entirety of the 2021 season and deep into the 2022 schedule as well. Had it not been for the injury, McClendon would have reached 40.
McClendon was named a Freshman All-American in 2020 as a redshirt freshman. He played the entirety of the Bulldogs’ offensive snaps in six games his redshirt sophomore year including battles against Clemson, Kentucky, Florida, Michigan and Alabama. Then, back for a fourth-year, he helped act as a leader not only for the offensive line but the entirety of the team.
McClendon, who’s name seems to pop up in the later rounds as a potential early day three pick, has been projected to play guard at the next level according to many. All his action in college came at tackle, but that versatility and cross training should come in handy as he fights to make an NFL team his rookie year.
