Georgia football: Winners and losers of the NFL Combine

The losers of the 2022 NFL Combine

Georgia football didn’t take many losses last week at the NFL Combine. Instead, their critics did. While it was disappointing to see Nakobe Dean, Jamaree Salyer and Derion opt out of some of the workouts, they still aren’t considered losers. They will have their day during Georgia’s Pro Day later this month.

The Dawgs that worked out in the NFL proved every doubter wrong and changed many people’s minds. So let’s deep dive into the losers of the 2022 NFL Combine.

Loser: Tray Scott haters

When head coach Kirby Smart hired Tray Scott to coach the defensive line, there were some fans uncertain if the right call got made or not. He came to Athens in Feb. 2017, and while some questioned his abilities early on, once Scott got his guys in to the program, look what happened.

He took a 3-star, a JUCO transfer and turned them into potential first-round draft picks. Scott also took a 5-star defensive end and, in just three years, got him ready for the NFL and possibly a top-5 draft choice.

This year’s draft class is the start. Should we also take into consideration the rising junior monster that will be better than Davis and Wyatt? Scott is an evil genius and should be protected. Those who doubted him and his ability to recruit have no argument anymore because he will have three players taken early.

Georgia finally has the secret weapon for producing elite defensive lines, and hopefully, Scott doesn’t leave any time soon. He has outdone all of the haters and proved why Smart hired him for the job. The Dawgs need to give him a bigger raise and keep Scott on staff as long as possible.

Loser: Alabama WRs

The two Alabama wideouts who missed the national championship weren’t done running their mouths at the NFL Combe as John Metchie and Jameson Williams both felt like if they played, Georgia would have lost.

No, Alabama wouldn’t have won if either played because neither of them played defense, and Georgia was able to put enough pressure on Bryce Young that he made mistakes. In his media interview, the offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer quickly ended this debate, and it was an epic response.

We get it, though, football players will talk smack, especially when it comes to a game as important as the national championship, but those two are fooling themselves if they think Georgia wouldn’t have won that game.

When a team outscores another 20-7 in the fourth quarter and returns an interception for a touchdown, all the momentum is on one side, and it wasn’t Alabama’s.

Let them talk, though, whatever makes them feel better about it. We hope Metchie and Williams have long, successful NFL careers because they are two of the best receivers in the last few years.

Loser: “Georgia can’t develop” haters

The arguments that Georgia football can’t develop are long gone, and it’s about time. The Dawgs prove with 14 in the NFL Combine and most of their performances that real development happens in Athens. Also, look at Jermaine Johnson, who transferred out of the program, and how well he did in his final year at FSU. Georgia had a hand in that for sure.

Look at Eric Stokes, Azeez Ojulari, Deandre Baker, Roquan Smith, Isaiah McKenzie, Mecole Hardman and so many others that have gone in the last couple of years and still try to make the argument that Smart and Georgia cannot develop.

Georgia won a national championship for a reason — they had a generational defense that bullied teams every week and playmakers on the offense who trusted a former walk-on quarterback to lead them to glory.

It goes back to the argument that recruiting at an elite level every year produces championship-caliber teams. However, the right staff has to be in place, and this one knows how to develop — especially Scott and Glenn Schumann. We can’t forget about Dan Lanning either, though, because he also played a huge role.

Georgia develops its highly talented recruits and turns them into NFL players. If anyone says otherwise, they’re in denial or haven’t watched college football in the last six years.