Three Georgia players go in 2-round 2022 NFL mock draft
Georgia football had three players selected in Pro Football Network’s 2-round 2022 NFL mock draft.
Out of the three, two were selected in the first round.
The first player off the board is transfer cornerback Derion Kendrick, who goes at No. 13 to the Arizona Cardinals.
Off-field issues aside, Kendrick has landed at Georgia and will be eligible to play to start the season with the Dawgs. Arizona drafted three defensive backs in 2021 but none higher than the fourth round and neither with more upside than Tay Gowan. With that in mind, there’s still the need for a shutdown cornerback in the desert.
Kendrick can be that shutdown corner in the mold of a former SEC-to-Arizona defensive back. At 6’0″, 190 pounds, Kendrick has solid size for the position and incredible athleticism. A converted wide receiver, his skills at the catch point are unrivaled in this draft class.
His potential is seemingly unlimited at this point of his career, and with the way this 2022 NFL Mock Draft has unfolded, he’s too good to pass up here.
Kendrick is projected to start as the No. 1 cornerback in Dan Lanning’s defensive scheme this season. Kendrick transferred to Georgia from Clemson this offseason. He will face his former team to open the season.
Kendrick is a former five-star recruit who began his college football career at wide receiver. Kendrick transitioned to cornerback as a sophomore.
At No. 14 overall goes quarterback JT Daniels to the Washington Football Team.
His lack of mobility may scare some, but J.T. Daniels has every throw in his arsenal for the next level. Catching fire once he was fully cleared to play, Daniels averaged over 300 yards per game in just four starts last season with Georgia.
Daniels is a progressive thrower with unique angles and all-around arm talent. He’ll make the correct read more often than not. He has some of the best awareness in the pocket in this draft class. Accuracy is a plus with his arm. He has a penchant for throwing receivers open and finding spots where only his receiver can make the play.
Daniels looks ready to lead the Bulldogs in 2021 and he should be one of the nation’s top quarterbacks at the end of the season.
He had a phenomenal first year with Georgia, throwing for 1,231 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in four games.
Everything seemed to click when Daniels lined up under center, and years of built-up frustration with the Georgia offense began to slip away.
And in the second round, at No. 53 overall, is Georgia transfer defensive back Tykee Smith to the Dallas Cowboys.
Smith transferred to the University of Georgia from West Virginia this offseason. Smith is considered one of the top safeties in the country. He is reunited with Georgia defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae, his former position coach at West Virginia.
Smith will be counted on to start at safety or nickel for the Bulldogs in 2021 alongside Christopher Smith and Lewis Cine.
