Mock Draft Roundup: With Pro Day in the books, where do Georgia players land
Mock draft season is going strong with the NFL Combine and Pro Days around the country in the books. Free agency is painting a clearer picture of what different teams need in the draft, and that’s leading to some movement for Georgia players. Below DawgsHQ does our best to share with you the recent projections for your Bulldogs with updated mock drafts from Mel Kiper Jr, Daniel Jeremiah and several others.
Mel Kiper, ESPN (3/19/24)
Brock Bowers (No. 10 – New York Jets): The Jets have to maximize their window with 40-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers. That’s what I keep coming back to. So after they were able to sign left tackle Tyron Smith to a one-year deal, who’s the player they could take here to make the most immediate impact? For me, it’s Bowers, a tremendous pass-catching tight end who could elevate the offense and provide a safety blanket for Rodgers. (Update: By the way, this shouldn’t change after the Jets signed wideout Mike Williams on Tuesday afternoon. Tight end is still a void.)
MORE FROM MEL KIPER ON GEORGIA DRAFT PROSPECTS
Amarius Mims (No. 30 – Baltimore Ravens): The Ravens’ trade of Morgan Moses piqued my interest. Do they believe 2022 fourth-rounder Daniel Faalele is ready to step into the starting job at right tackle, or are they planning to draft a tackle? And could the answer be yes to both? I’m leaning toward the latter outcome. Faalele hasn’t shown enough to be the entrenched starter, and maybe general manager Eric DeCosta is thinking about the future along the offensive line. This is the draft to do that. Mims is the perfect case of a high-ceiling, high-risk prospect. The risk comes in that he has started only eight college games because of injuries and draft picks in front of him. The ceiling comes in when you watch him beat up on defenders, and the way he can move his feet at 340 pounds. He didn’t allow a single sack at Georgia. Offensive line coaches will want to try to mold him because of his elite tools.
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com (3/19/24)
Brock Bowers (No. 12 – Denver Broncos): I know tight end is not a pressing need for the Broncos, but this is a “best player available” situation. They can deploy Bowers in the slot, similar to the way Sean Payton utilized Michael Thomas in New Orleans.
Amarius Mims (No. 25 – Green Bay Packers): The Packers have moved on from injury-riddled LT David Bakhtiari. I could still see Green Bay going in several different directions with this pick, but Mims’ upside would be very tempting here.
Misc. Mocks
Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports (3/20/24): Brock Bowers (No. 14 – New Orleans Saints), Amarius Mims (No. 21 – Miami Dolphins), Ladd McConkey (No. 33 – Carolina Panthers), Kamari Lassiter (No. 40 – Washington Commanders), Javon Bullard (No. 66 – Arizona Cardinals)
Ben Solak, The Ringer (3/15/24): Brock Bowers (No. 12 – Denver Broncos), Amarius Mims (No. 16 – Seattle Seahawks), Kamari Lassiter (No 27 – Arizona Cardinals)
Chad Reuter, NFL.com (3/22/24): Brock Bowers (No. 10 – New York Jets), Amarius Mims (No. 34 – New England Patriots), Ladd McConkey (No. 45 – New Orleans Saints), Javon Bullard (No. 52 – Los Angeles Rams), Kamari Lassiter (No. 65 – Carolina Panthers)
Ian Valentino, The 33rd Team (3/21/24): Brock Bowers (No. 10 – New York Jets), Amarius Mims (No. 31 – San Francisco 49ers)
Trevor Sikkema, Pro Football Focus (3/18/24): Brock Bowers (No. 15 – Indianapolis Colts), Amarius Mims (No. 31 – San Francisco 49ers), Ladd McConkey (No. 34 – New England Patriots), Kamari Lassiter (No. 46 – Indianapolis Colts), Javon Bullard (No. 70 – New York Giants), Sedrick Van Pran (No. 75 – Chicago Bears), Tykee Smith (No. 94 – San Francisco 49ers)
