Georgia football: 14 Dawgs selected in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft

Georgia football players selected in the 2nd round of the 2022 NFL Draft

Georgia football will see three players taken in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. These guys could probably go in the first round, but teams decided to wait because other players were a priority.

As redundant as it sounds, one or two of these guys could rise into the first round, but this group could see themselves fall to the third or fourth round depending on how the NFL Combine and Georgia pro day goes.

George Pickens: #62 — Kansas City Chiefs

George Pickens came out of high school as a guy we all thought would be another first-round receiver for Georgia football, but one ACL tear later, and we are looking at him toward the bottom of round two. The lack of playing time cost him a few draft spots in his junior year, but no one was shocked when he announced that he was draft bound.

He didn’t need to show teams anything else because what Pickens did at Georgia in his first two years was incredible. Pickens could rise to the top of the second round if teams like what he does in the next few weeks, but we will see how sturdy that knee is. It hasn’t even been a year since he tore it, so that could be another thing teams look at when evaluating.

For now, we think if he is available at the No. 62 pick, the Chiefs will grab him. They need another receiver, and he could be an excellent match for Patrick Mahomes to throw to. Joining another Dawg in Mecole Hardman would give the Chiefs two trustworthy receivers for both the long and short game.

Other teams that could snag him before Kansas City are the Giants, New England, the Saints, the Raiders, or the Bills. He will be one to watch because which team will take the gamble on him without him playing this year? We think more than one will risk it because he is that type of receiver.

Derion Kendrick: #51 — Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are a team that needs some help in their secondary, and if he is there, Derion Kendrick could be their choice in the second round. He has improved from his time at Clemson and turned into one of the best corners in college football.

Kendrick has been all over the mock drafts, from the first round a couple of weeks ago to the third or second round. We think he could get selected at No. 51 overall by the Eagles. That projection is pretty accurate, as we agree by putting him midway through the second. He isn’t the fastest or strongest cornerback in this draft, so he fell out of the first 32 picks.

Kendrick needs work on his tackling, but he will be an excellent teammate if a team takes a chance on him. When the Dawgs took a chance on him, we saw Kendrick transform in one season. Now it’s time for an NFL squad to give him that same opportunity.

Some other places he could land in the second round are with the Bills, New England, the Giants, Washington and Steelers.

Lewis Cine: #49 — New Orleans Saints

Lewis Cine would make a great fit with the Saints, who needs a strong safety. He may have declared early, but his maturity is out of this world. Cine was a leader for Georgia’s secondary and is another player who has seen a lot of various draft projections. Some have him in the first round as a top-20 pick, others have him early to mid-second round, and that seems right.

He is someone that could have come back to Athens and played one more year to hone in on some skills, but at the same time, Cine is good enough right now to make an NFL team very happy. That tenacity and grit are some of his best traits. He has had to tone back the hits, but once he learned to channel all that, Cine became one of the best safeties in college football.

Cine has some work to do, but his raw ability to play this position will have teams interested. Right now, we think the Saints will take him at the No. 49 overall pick, but other teams that could snag him are the Steelers, Ravens, Atlanta and the Eagles. It’ll be fun to see him work at the NFL Combine because he could stand out.