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Georgia sets date for Pro Day in March ahead of 2023 NFL Draft

Palmber-Thombsby: Palmer Thombs02/08/23palmerthombs

The NFL announced its list of invited players to the Combine earlier today. That’s just one opportunity for players to be seen by professional scouts and franchises however. The Georgia Bulldogs trying to get drafted will have another on Wednesday, March 15th at UGA Pro Day.

ESPN’s Field Yates shared on social media that the date was set by Kirby Smart and company. Ironically it comes on the first official day of NFL free agency, but according to Yates, many members of front offices will be focusing on the future through the draft instead of free agency and doing so that day in Athens.

Georgia won its second straight National Championship this past season, becoming the first team to do so in the College Football Playoff era. The Bulldogs went a perfect 15-0 as they rolled through the regular season and won the SEC Championship in convincing fashion over LSU. Then, it took all of 60 minutes to take down Ohio State in the semifinal at the Peach Bowl, beating the Buckeyes 42-41 after a fourth quarter comeback. Finally, under the bright lights of the Los Angeles sky at SoFi Stadium, Kirby Smart’s squad rolled in a 65-7 win versus TCU to take home the title.

Stetson Bennett broke the single-season passing yard mark with over 4,000 yards. He was named a Heisman Trophy finalist, the first Georgia quarterback to do so. Meanwhile, Kenny McIntosh had over 1,000 total yards and Darnell Washington had the best season of his three-year college career. As for the offensive linemen, Broderick Jones and Warren McClendon were part of a group that kept their quarterback clean, allowing just nine sacks in 15 games – the first team to ever do so.

On the defensive side of the football, folks expected a drop off, but the Bulldogs didn’t have one. Georgia finished top 5 in the country for scoring defense and top 10 for total defense after sitting near the top of the list all year long. Jalen Carter is widely projected as one of the first players to come off the board while Nolan Smith and Kelee Ringo have been mocked in more than a few first rounds. Christopher Smith led the team in interceptions with three and scored an incredibly memorable touchdown for a second straight season – taking a blocked field goal back 96 yards for the score in the SEC Championship Game. All the players mentioned and more are eligible to be selected in this year’s draft.

Georgia had a modern era NFL Draft record 15 players picked in 2022. This year’s draft is set for Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Details of Georgia’s Pro Day and if any of it will available on television are not yet finalized.

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