The 2017 Georgia Football team is going to be sending plenty of its stars to the NFL and it starts with ILB Roquan Smith.
What a difference a year makes! In 2017, Georgia went into the NFL draft with only one prospect who had a shot at being drafted. Just a year later, there’s a chance that UGA could end up seeing a record number of players drafted in a single year. I wouldn’t put it past the Dawgs to go in to double digits this class if a few things break their way.
All of this means that there is plenty for Dawg fans to get excited about. A lot of their former favorites are about to start their new careers. So to celebrate, we’re going to do a breakdown of each player who could end up getting drafted.
Much like the real draft, we’re going to be starting at the top of the class and working our way down. That means that of course, we start with none other than the Butkus Award-winning linebacker himself, Roquan Smith.
How good was he in Athens?
Where do we start? There have been very few defensive players in recent memory who have been as good at UGA as Smith. To say that he was the best linebacker in the country in 2017 probably does him a disservice. He might well have been the best defensive player period. That’s not hyperbole either.
Smith won the Butkus award for the nation’s top linebacker as well as many other accolades. He accounted for 137 tackles this past season, 85 of which were solo efforts. Smith had 14 tackles for a loss as well as 6.5 sacks, which led the team despite the fact he was not a designated pass rusher. Find me a player in any top conference with stats as good as that? Go ahead, I’ll wait.
But anyone who watched him play could tell you that Smith was about much more than just stats. His very presence seemed to snuff out drives. He had a habit of making big plays exactly when they were needed. See the tackle he made against Oklahoma in overtime to force a field goal.
From a physical standpoint, Smith’s quickness makes him special, but his mental acumen sets him apart. In 2017, his ability to read a play and get himself and his teammates in the right position was truly impressive. Those smarts and his leadership make him particularly attractive to NFL teams.
Roquan was the heart and soul of one of the fastest and best defenses in the country. He was a leader on a team that brought his school back to the promised land and oh so nearly dethroned the evil empire of Alabama. Dawg fans won’t be forgetting him anytime soon that’s for sure.