Kendall Milton: 2024 NFL Draft Profile, Projection, Prediction
Few programs have been better at putting players into the NFL during the Kirby Smart era than Georgia, and this year’s draft is no different. Brock Bowers, Amarius Mims and Ladd McConkey are likely to go early. There’s the mid-round guys like Kamari Lassiter, Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith and the late-round steals like Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Sedrick Van Pran and a pair of running backs – Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards.
Looking to hit double-digits for a third consecutive year, the Bulldogs sent 11 to the NFL Combine earlier in the process. A couple more worked out at UGA’s Pro Day. To preview it all for you, DawgsHQ takes an individual look at Georgia’s players in the draft pool, recapping their career in red and black and providing the latest projections (and a prediction of our own) for where they’ll fall on draft night.
Kendall Milton
Milton was a hard nosed, physical runner during his time in Athens, never shying away from contact. That led to some big moments for the California native at Georgia, scoring a total of 23 touchdowns – 22 of which came in the last two years.
Injuries seemed like a constant battle for Milton. As a freshman, he suffered a knee injury that sidelined him late in the season. As a sophomore, that same issue struck again. Then, there were pulled hamstrings and other nagging injuries that popped up. However, as a junior and senior, Milton put together consistent campaigns.
During his final season at Georgia, Milton carried it 121 times for a 790 yards and 14 touchdowns, all career-highs for him. He topped the 100-yard mark three times in UGA’s last five games of the 2023 campaign, finding the end zone twice in four of those five outings. Milton earned MVP honors at the Orange Bowl with nine carries for 104 yards, part of a stretch in which he scored in nine straight to close things out in Athens.
Palmer’s Prediction: Milton is another one of the swing guys for Georgia in this draft class. His selection, or lack thereof, could be the difference between another year in double digits or a draft class we look back on that’s not as impressive from a numbers standpoint. I’ll predict that Milton gets picked. He’s a big back with impressive film when healthy. The way he finished his collegiate career should impress teams, and my guess is that a team is willing to grab him late in the draft with hopes that he can stay healthy and provide a solid presence for a few seasons. It might not be until the seventh round, similar to what we saw with Kenny McIntosh last year. Either way, in my mind, Milton’s getting his name called during the draft.
