Sports Illustrated

Five Georgia defenders were selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, and the Bulldogs’ defense yields three more first-rounders in my first swing at an early ’23 mock draft. In other words, last year’s elite defense will have yielded eight combined first-round picks in back-to-back drafts if next year’s draft plays out that way. Georgia will have an offensive player join his defensive counterparts, and I strongly considered a second offensive prospect, which would have given the Bulldogs five first-rounders in back-to-back drafts. Meanwhile, its biggest rival (Alabama) ties Georgia with four first-round picks in this mock. There are 19 schools represented, including a military academy.