Georgia Senior Bowl action: what to watch for in Mobile
It’s Saturday in Mobile, Ala., and there’s plenty to watch out for on the Georgia Senior Bowl front.
First of all, here’s who won’t be participating from the Dawgs:
Two notable defensive linemen
Jordan Davis decided to forego any participation in the game, and who can blame him? After the season he had, and the workouts he’s having, it appears as if Jordan Davis is locked in on NFL Combine preparation.
Now, there is one other defensive lineman who was wrecking skulls in practice this week who won’t make it into Georgia’s Senior Bowl rotation.
Devonte Wyatt was reportedly one of the day two hot shots this week, before injuring his ankle at practice on Wednesday.
Wyatt will miss the game, but all indications are that he should recover just fine. Wyatt did more than enough this week to impress the scouts. It certainly doesn’t seem as if missing the game will set his NFL Draft prospects back much, if at all.
Two running backs will also skip Georgia’s Senior Bowl reps
Zamir White and James Cook returned for their senior seasons (I know everyone had a COVID freebie for eligibility, but let’s just call it what it is), even though that’s incredibly rare at the position.
For Zeus, this is an obvious decision. With two ACL tears already on his resume, it makes sense to eliminate as much contact as possible.
Social media pundits chose to direct most of their skepticism toward James Cook instead.
I understand where they’re coming from on Cook sitting out. Maybe he could benefit from some up-close-and-personal evaluation.
I just disagree with the frenzy surrounding his decision to work out and potentially take more blows in a glorified tryout.
No Quay Walker, either
Linebacker Quay Walker will also sit out due to an injury. I’m not sure people appreciate his career enough at Georgia, because of the way that the Dawgs rotate in and out across the board.
Do a twitter search for his name, though, and you’ll see how many NFL fan bases would love to have him.
So… who’s left?
Offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer impressed scouts all week, not only at tackle, but at guard rotations as well. If you’re a ‘ball watcher,’ you can finally divert all of your focus to a Georgia offensive lineman in this game.
You’ll like what you see from Salyer.
Offensive guard Justin Shaffer has some room to impress, even though he didn’t do anything wrong in workouts this week. The best news for Shaffer may be that he doesn’t have to face his former teammate, Wyatt anymore.
Considering the fact that Wyatt was one of the stars of practice, this rep isn’t a huge blow for Shaffer. This seems like the Dawg that has the greatest opportunity to impress based on his game opportunities.
On defense and special teams…
Linebacker Channing Tindall is part missile, part Juggernaut. Look, I’m no scout. But he leveled up this past season and impressed me every game since the Clemson win.
Tindall just looked like a NFL linebacker all season. Can’t wait to see him make some money, potentially, with his play.
Defensive back Derion Kendrick fit in just fine with the Dawgs after transferring from Clemson this offseason. Kendrick really stepped up in the Orange Bowl win over Michigan, of course, with two interceptions and defensive MVP honors.
Big plays on a big stage help, and it’s extra impressive that he anchored an inexperienced Georgia secondary this past season. Still, the Senior Bowl is a great chance for Kendrick to prove his individual skills in real action.
I swear, punter Jake Camarda was just a freshman inadvertently putting his knee down in the Sugar Bowl a few weeks ago. His career at Georgia flew by, and it was amazing to watch that boot improve from year to year.
NFL Scouts are looking for any reason to hate on anyone, especially someone who primarily uses his foot. I’ll take Camarda finishing as UGA’s career leader in punting average (45.78, passing my guy, and Ray Guy Award Winner Drew Butler) as an encouraging sign for his pro hopes.
Georgia didn’t have to punt a ton, so he could use some extra reps to show his stuff I reckon.
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