Who will be first player from UGA taken in this week’s NFL draft?
In last year’s NFL draft, two players from the University of Georgia were chosen in the first dozen picks, Matthew Stafford No. 1 and Knowshon Moreno No. 12. You’ll have to wait a lot longer for a UGA player to be drafted this year.
And when the first player from Georgia’s 2009 team is taken – no sooner than the second round and possibly as late as the fourth, the experts tell us –- who will it be?
Tough question.
I perused a sampling of five mock drafts/prospect boards Monday — all subject to change, of course — and found three different players projected as the first pick from UGA in this year’s draft, which runs Thursday through Saturday:
- Sporting News: Defensive tackle Jeff Owens is projected to be taken with the eighth pick of the second round, No. 40 overall, by San Diego – one spot behind Tim Tebow, by the way.
- ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: Another defensive tackle, Geno Atkins, is the first Georgia player in Kiper’s latest mock draft. But the dean of draft analysts doesn’t have Atkins going until the fourth round, No. 113 to San Francisco.
- FoxSports.com: Safety Reshad Jones is the pick as the first Georgia draftee, going to New Orleans with the final pick of the second round, No. 64 overall.
- CBS Sports.com: This site also forecasts Jones as the first UGA player to be drafted, but not until the third round.
- WalterFootball.com: Atkins is first among the Bulldogs in this mock draft, going to Cincinnati in the second round, No. 54 overall.
The former Georgia player whose stock fluctuates the most in the mock drafts is Owens. While projected to go early in the second round by Sporting News’ Russ Lande, Owens is seen as a fifth rounder by CBS Sports.com and projected as a seventh rounder on ESPN’s Todd McShay’s prospects board.
You’ve probably noticed the name missing so far: linebacker Rennie Curran, Georgia’s MVP last season.
Sporting News has Curran going in the third round, No. 83 overall, to . . . the Falcons! Kiper says Curran will go in the range of fourth or fifth round. McShay lists him as a fourth rounder.
So who do you think will be the first Dog drafted?
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
199 comments Add your comment
GT BABY
April 20th, 2010
4:54 pm
STARRING- WHY DO U KEEP TALKING ABOUT CLEANING STUFF UP? IT’S NOT EVEN FUNNY, SHUT UP!
kevin
April 20th, 2010
4:57 pm
No, you shut up…are you serious? You sound like a 9 year old talking to his sister.
Starring GT BABY in Getting robbed on NORTH AVE
April 20th, 2010
4:58 pm
GT CRACK BABY
The reason is GT is a janitorial engineering school. You guys pick up trash and clean toilets. And dream of being a top tiered program.
GT BABY
April 20th, 2010
5:01 pm
A janitorial engineering school? Who the hell do you think builds your railroads, airplanes, malls, parking lots, and machines?
AceDawg
April 20th, 2010
5:10 pm
Owens and Atkins didn’t impress much at UGA last year, but that is a tough task with the way Martinez had the D playing. Too bad Grantham wasn’t around a year or two earlier because I think both of those guys could prove to be valuable in the NFL.
Starring GT BABY in Getting robbed on NORTH AVE
April 20th, 2010
5:11 pm
GT CRACK BABY
Engineers from MIT, Stanford, Cal Berkley, Texas A&M, Southern Cal, Perdue, Princeton, Harvard, Penn State, Mercer.
I’m familiar with them building our infrastructure, and know that Tech cleans up our infrastructure.
kevin
April 20th, 2010
5:19 pm
Tech is a fine engineering school. I will give GTBABY that. Funny though, that GTBABY claims to “do numbers for a living” and has such a hard time understanding 8 out of 9!
GT "Cry" Baby
April 20th, 2010
5:57 pm
LOL. I’ll give it to ya GT Baby, at least you’re passionate, unlike the rest of your fans. Kudos.
dc3
April 20th, 2010
5:58 pm
All those tech first rounders still werent good enough to beat UGA
Starring GT BABY in Getting robbed on NORTH AVE
April 20th, 2010
6:04 pm
GT CRACK BABY
Join us tommorrow same Bat Time Same Bat Blog
For another beat down
Delbert D.
April 20th, 2010
6:35 pm
Curran could make a team as a special teams to begin his career. The Falcons backup running back (assuming the #2 guy is traded) started that way and is a standout no matter when and where he plays.
athdog
April 20th, 2010
8:48 pm
I have read Dimitroff quoted as being impressed with Rennie. It’ll be interesting to see who is signed after the draft as free agents. I’d put my money on Kade Weston, if I were the Falcons. He’s got an NFL body if there ever was one. Someone will sign him and be glad they did. Remember Kedric Golston? Good college career, certainly not stellar and very similar to Kade’s. All he did was sign as a ufa and is now a starter with the ‘Skins.
30-24 Dawgs - We Run This State!
April 20th, 2010
8:54 pm
Would say Reshad Jones, especially based on his incredible on-handed pick of Jayblow Shaw in the Dawgs’ 30-24 victory over the maggots, making it 8 out of 9 and continuing the dominance during the Mark Richt era.
UGADAWGZ
April 20th, 2010
8:58 pm
GATOR- You don’t run us you’ve just beaten us a lot the past 20 years but we still own you because we own the overall record. So stop acting like football didn’t start until the 90’s.
Stinger
April 20th, 2010
9:28 pm
Could it be Joe Cox??????????
Stinger
April 20th, 2010
9:30 pm
Impressed with Currin. LMFAO. Isn’t he the one that Dwyer ran smack over???
Stinger
April 20th, 2010
9:37 pm
Oh by the way 25-6, you walk this State !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GT BABY
April 20th, 2010
10:18 pm
I is a stupid we-tard that flunked out of north avenue podunk university. I is sorry for trying to talk smack against the GREAT UNIVERSITY of GEORGIA. I a big yello jackit looser…
GT BABY
April 20th, 2010
10:59 pm
Staring GT BABY- I’m sitting here reading your comments and I got to hand it to ya. You’re the biggest dumb a$$ Georgia fan I’ve ever come across.
GT BABY
April 20th, 2010
10:59 pm
I love how someone stole my name at 10:18
Dawgforlife
April 21st, 2010
12:39 am
GT Baby…to bad your delusional…UGA is the best football program in this state and it can be proven anyway you wish to prove it…total no 1 picks..head to head…total players drafted…total all-americans…heisman winners…8 of the last 9…our worst team in a decade beating your best team since 1990 at home…7-2 bowl record under Richt…3 BCS bowls…and 2nd and 3rd national ranking…more first round pics in the last 12 years than Tech has had since the draft started in 1937…and to top it all of the 4 best players off your best team are all gone now…btw if Dwyer is a first round pick…I will personally sing the Tech fight song…Johnson took the 12th rated player in the country…fattened him up to play fullback so that Tech could win a few games…the fattening slowed him down and cost him millions of dollars…but, he got what he wanted Tech had its first 10 win season in the Richt era…oh UGA in that time frame has had 6…and did I mention that 10 win team lost to lowly 7-5 UGA at home…before getting clocked in the worst orange bowl in history by Iowa…hope you can sell out a few games this year
Dawgforlife
April 21st, 2010
12:47 am
My least favorite thing about these boards occurs when one has no football related argument and chooses personal attacks…or threatening physical violence…which btw is easy in here since we all hide behind keyboards…I am a Ga fan and love the Universiaty of Ga…yes we have some work to do against Fla…and yes, we have handled Tech..but, I can’t think of a single reason for questioning someones manhood or intelligence…it is completely off topic to me
BuLLdawg
April 21st, 2010
5:02 am
That just doesn’t get me interested, not when we have 3 players on the current roster who until last night were listed as Administrators on SUPPORT METT.
Yep
April 21st, 2010
8:24 am
Jones – Late Second Round. There is your answer. As for Curran, I hope he wasn’t expecting being drafted any earlier than the 5th round. I don’t care how good you are (And he is VERY good), Pro scouts are never going to recomend a team take a 5′9″ linebacker. Just not gonna happen. He should have known that.
Ed Tolley
April 21st, 2010
9:06 am
Which happens first? Another UGA player arrest or a player is taken in the NFL Draft.
NFL Draft is -110 right now.
GT BABY
April 21st, 2010
9:18 am
dawgforlife- I haven’t sent any personal threats. The only thing I was trying to do is act like a Georgia fan on a Georgia Tech blog. UGA fans are so trashy and classless and everybody knows it. Don’t go bragging about your sorry 7-5, Independence bowl season either. It makes you look stupid because Georgia sucks now. After Tech beat Georgia two years, Georgia fans hid in a little closet with their tails tucked up under their legs. You know that too! It kills Georgia fans to actually think GT is a better football program now. It really does eat y’all up inside.
GT BABY
April 21st, 2010
9:19 am
Ed Tolley- I like that
Buzz
April 21st, 2010
9:36 am
Kevin UGA can also accept the lowest common denominator as recruits which do not meet the standards of the ACC much less the more stringent requirements held by GT. UGA is also seen as the State of Georgia by many of the ignorant, uneducated Georgians and thus have a much, much larger fan base which obviously helps in recruiting. Thus, if UGA was running on all cylinders they would always defeat Tech in every sport and in every draft. Fortunately UGA has never, ever ran on all its advantages! We have four national titles by the recognized polls of the day and UGA only has one! In over 100 years of football!!!! Richt simply keeps the car in 2nd gear! Thanks heavens for elderly drivers!!!
Silver Britches
April 21st, 2010
11:11 am
I understand Curran going early, given that he has a family to support, but didn’t Reshad also go early? The NFL scouting report on him doesn’t look too impressive. One would think that spending a year with the new defensive coaches at UGA, who seem to actually COACH the players, would have helped Jones tremendously, especially as far as fundamentals go.
kevin
April 21st, 2010
11:23 am
Buzz,
I am not familiar with recruiting standards imposed by the SEC vs. ACC, but at the very least, I suspect you’re probably right regarding GT having a higher academic standard for their players than UGA. Though this point seems feckless. We are not talking about maximizing football potential according to some speculative standard for recruits, i.e. you should be better than us b/c your standards are lower. Whether that’s true, it’s relevant. We are talking about which team is better. And while we may keep it in 2nd gear, its been good enough to beat GT senseless for 8 of the last 9 years.
kevin
April 21st, 2010
11:24 am
Sorry, that should have read, “whether that’s true, its irrelevant.”
Gator
April 21st, 2010
11:30 am
Kevin- and we’ve beat UGA senseless for the past 20 years. I’m not going to let you and all your buddys act like Georgia is a good football program. Georgia plays in Independence bowls for christ sake.
mason
April 21st, 2010
11:41 am
Yellow Fuzz, go to class.
here is the yellow bunch’s schedule. So this is TOUGH? LMAO
LMAO
Other than the tough opponent UGA, and possibly Clemson, well I can’t stop laughing to even say any more:
9/04 South Carolina State
9/11 @ Kansas
9/18 @ North Carolina
9/25 North Carolina State
10/02 @ Wake Forest
10/09 Virginia
10/16 Middle Tennessee
10/23 @ Clemson
11/04 @ Virginia Tech
11/13 Miami (FL)
11/20 Duke
11/27 @ Georgia
(( LMAO ))
BG
April 21st, 2010
11:50 am
Reshad Jones
GT BABY
April 21st, 2010
12:02 pm
yes, that schedule is harder than yours. We’ll see once the strength of schedule comes out….Look at the away games!
at UNC top 20
at Wake anything can happen
at clemson (will more than likely be in the top 25)
at Virginia Tech top 10 if not top 5
Miami top 15
at UGA maybe top 23 or 24
kevin
April 21st, 2010
12:39 pm
Gator,
No question, UF has owned us for the last 20 years. No one disputes this. That said, your claim that we are “no good”. Here are some stats that tell the story otherwise:
UNDER Richt
Vs. SEC foes: 43-22
.
Vs. Top 25 foes: 29-18
.
Vs. Top 25 foes away from home: 18-12
.
Vs. Top 10 foes: 8-6
.
In postseason games (bowls and championships): 9-3
.
In games decided by a touchdown or less: 34-14
.
Record at home: 46-9
.
Record on the road: 42-6 (including bowl games)
.
Losses to unranked teams: 6
.
Top 25 finishes: 8
.
Top 10 finishes: 6
.
UGA was 12-1 in 2002 (prior to bowl selections)
.
Fla was 12-1 in 2006 (prior to bowl selections)
.
Not UGAs fault there were 2 unbeatens that year. “unlucky”
.
.Not Flas credit that there was only one unbeaten in 2006. “Lucky”
.
Luck (not merit) had more to do with Fla getting an invite to the BCS not that Fla was more deserving to go to a NC than UGA with identical records.
.
No SEC team has ever lost a BCSNC game and if UGA would have been invited nothing indicates that it would have been different
.
.UGA has 2 SEC titles..same as Fla in last 9 years and equal amount of total wins (90) over all.
.
UGA has been ranked more times top ten in last 9 years than any SEC team at 6. Fla has only been ranked top ten 3 times in 9 years (real impressive).
.
Fact……….In 9 years under Richt the only SEC team with more wins is LSU
UGA has won 4 str8 bowls….more than any other SEC team.
.
.UGA has won 11 of last 13 bowls…Thats more than any team (tied with LSU and more than FLA)
.
UGA has won 8 or more games in last 13 years…more than any other team in the nation including Fla.
.
UGA is clearly as good or better than any SEC team over last 9 years. Only a fool or a fan of the mythical BCSNC selection process (non playoff) would think otherwise.
.
.UGA had same record when they won the SEC title in 2002 as Fla did in 2006/8 when they won the SEC title. But UGA had the misfortune (luck) to have that record in a year that had 2 other teams with undefeated records.
So, I’d say we’re pretty good despite our not being very good against UF.
By the way, it’s “buddies”, not “buddys”.
GT BABY
April 21st, 2010
12:52 pm
I dont know if y’all heard yet, but Georgia has had another arrest. ANOTHER FREAKING ARREST! YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME, IS THAT #9 THIS OFF SEASON?
kevin
April 21st, 2010
1:09 pm
Thanks for the update, GTBABY. Not sure if you heard, but an ex-GT football player is now trying out for the cheerleading team.
GT BABY
April 21st, 2010
1:55 pm
At least he’s not breaking any laws unlike UGA players.
kevin
April 21st, 2010
2:07 pm
I agree GTBABY. The cheerleader story is just funny–nothing wrong with it. Though I am not sure that other players from around the country do not break just as many laws, insofar as the law pertains to drinking under age (who cares), having a fake id (who cares) or punching a guy while drunk (not cool, but it happens A LOT). I know you are not a fan of Athens, but it is well documented, and boasted by the Athens police dept., that they are more strict than just about any other college town police force in the country. So, this too plays a role in the arrest rate being a tad higher. At GT, the APD could care a less about a publicly drunk Tech student, whereas that same student in Athens would be in cuffs.
GT BABY
April 21st, 2010
3:29 pm
where is my comment
Robert
April 21st, 2010
8:05 pm
Don’t want anyone from the Athens Correctional Facility playing for the Falcons. They belong on Cleveland, Cincinnati, Oakland, Jets, Ravens, etc. Not a quality organization looking for Super Bowls rather than bail money!
GT BABY
April 21st, 2010
9:10 pm
I is a stupid we-tard that flunked out of north avenue podunk university. I is sorry for trying to my LAME attempt to talk smack against the GREAT UNIVERSITY of GEORGIA. I a big yello jackit looser and yes the BULLDOGS football team runs this state…
Nice use of words GT
April 21st, 2010
11:09 pm
HEY BAND NERD- I BET YOU FIT RIGHT IN WITH YOUR LITTLE FRAT BOY HAIR CUT, HUH? tHERE’S A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ARE PROBLEMS AND Y’ALLS PROBLEMS. WE DONT NEED A DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO RESOLVE ARE PROBLEMS. HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA
Will someone tell GT Baby that it is “Our problems”…not “Are problems” Just because your dumbass pronounces the two words the same way… does not mean they are pronounced the same. And the Tech guys are supposed to be the smart ones.
Georgia safety transferring | UGA sports blog
April 22nd, 2010
12:53 am
[...] Expect a long wait for a Dog to be drafted. [...]
mowreck
April 22nd, 2010
7:37 am
I just LOVEEEEEE GT BABY!!!
kevin
April 22nd, 2010
9:53 am
Robert,
Great point Robert…you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. Here’s a current list of UGA players playing in the NFL. I think you will find that there is nearly one on every team, including the Falcons.
Asher Allen Minnesota Vikings Cornerback
Champ Bailey Denver Broncos Cornerback
Reggie Brown Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wide Receiver
Thomas Brown Cleveland Browns Running Back
Chris Clemons Seattle Seahawks Defensive End
Phillip Daniels Washington Redskins Defensive End
Dannell Ellerbe Baltimore Ravens Linebacker
Demetric Evans San Francisco 49ers Defensive Tackle
Jason Ferguson Miami Dolphins Defensive Tackle
Robert Geathers Cincinnati Bengals Defensive End
Kedric Golston Washington Redskins Defensive Tackle
Marcus Howard Tennessee Titans Defensive End
Corvey Irvin Carolina Panthers Defensive Tackle
Max Jean-Gilles Philadelphia Eagles Guard
Tim Jennings Chicago Bears Safety
Charles Johnson Carolina Panthers Defensive End
Sean Jones Tampa Bay Buccaneers Safety
John Kasay Carolina Panthers Place kicker
Kregg Lumpkin Green Bay Packers Running Back
Mohamed Massaquoi Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver
Brandon Miller Seattle Seahawks Defensive End
Knowshon Moreno Denver Broncos Running Back
Quentin Moses Miami Dolphins Linebacker
Paul Oliver San Diego Chargers Free Safety
Leonard Pope Kansas City Chiefs Tight End
Dennis Roland Cincinnati Bengals Offensive Tackle
D.J. Shockley Atlanta Falcons Quarterback
Matthew Stafford Detroit Lions Quarterback
Jonathan Stinchcomb New Orleans Saints Offensive Tackle
Marcus Stroud Buffalo Bills Defensive Tackle
Fernando Velasco Tennessee Titans Center
Hines Ward Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver
Danny Ware New York Giants Running Back
Benjamin Watson Cleveland Browns Tight End
Will Witherspoon Tennessee Titans Linebacker
Jarius Wynn Green Bay Packers
larry's babe
April 22nd, 2010
7:45 pm
you know, I was trying to keep my incarcerated husband,(who can only watch jerry springer and other trashy shows) up to date on what everyone is saying about his fav. team- I didn’t know that there were soooooo many people blogging insults instead of football. hopefully more than 3 fans can give this “dumb” chick something useful the next time I return.
Orange Julius
April 23rd, 2010
5:58 pm
The question should be ” Will any UGA players be drafted at all this year” ? Ain’t looking too good. Guess the NFL scouts are not too impressed with Shreveport, boys!!