NFL draft grades: How did the Georgia football players rank through 3rd round?

Georgia football has seen nine players drafted in the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft, as four more Dawgs got selected in the second and third rounds on Friday night.

The Dawgs broke another NFL Draft record on Friday night as they saw seven defensive players taken in three rounds. They tied their 2021 record for the total of players selected in one year at nine. Georgia will hopefully see more than nine taken, so the Dawgs could still hit that 14 mark.

Six Dawgs are remaining, and the confidence that at least five of them will get selected on Saturday is still high. It’s crazy to think that the Dawgs have already seen nine chosen in three rounds because that is almost unheard of, and if it happens, it’s rare.

After the first two days, outside seeing Nakobe Dean drop to the third round, the NFL teams who chose the Dawgs picked guys who fit their systems.

Georgia football sees its first nine picks receive substantial grading in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Among the four players selected on Friday night, two went in round two and two in round three. Georgia saw two offensive playmakers get picked up in round two in George Pickens and James Cook. Dean and Channing Tindall wrapped up the night.

As we reflect on these first nine picks, instead of going individually, we will do it by the team and provide a grade based on need, where they got selected, and what kind of an impact the player or players will make.

We will go from top to bottom unless a team picked up more than one Dawg, and of the nine picks, there are seven teams to grade as the Eagles and Packers drafted multiple players. With one day left and four more rounds to go, let’s give out some grades for these nine playmakers already off the board.

The Jacksonville Jaguars started the 2022 NFL Draft with the best pick they could have made by selecting Travon Walker.

They could have gone the safe route and drafted Michigan defense edge rusher Aiden Hutchinson, but instead, they decided Walker’s potential was more appealing.

The Jags get an A+ grade because they didn’t listen to the outside noise and chose the guy they thought would be the best fit.

Walker has no limit when it comes to his ceiling, and his potential is just as high. The Jags didn’t rely on statistics alone in making their decision.

Impressive statistics are great to have and can make draft grades improve, but Walker is proof that sometimes potential is all a player needs. Now it’s up to him to prove himself in Jacksonville, but Walker won’t have any issues with that.

He is a competitor and will be ready to take on the role of star defender. Plus, Walker has the intangibles to be a star in the NFL and didn’t need gaudy stats and production numbers to convince anyone.

Walker is a high-character player that has unlimited potential. He is a leader and will make an immediate impact on the Jaguars. The Jags didn’t really take a risk by drafting him but finally made a decision that will help them actually improve on the football field.

Georgia has seen its rookie NFL players have a lot of success in the last couple of years. Walker will be one of the next to show the NFL that drafting Georgia players results in production right away, and they don’t need much work.

The Philadelphia Eagles were one of two teams that have drafted multiple Georgia football players in the 2022 NFL Draft. Jordan Davis was the first as he went 13th overall, and then the Eagles got the steal of the draft by selecting Nakobe Dean 82nd overall.

At first, the Eagles got a B+ grade, but it quickly changed as more news dropped about Dean. After he got selected, he spoke with a Philadelphia media member stating that he didn’t need surgery and all of the rumors that came out during the Draft weren’t true.

Now the Eagles get an A+ because with a healthy Dean and getting Davis in the first round — it’s two great pickups that will elevate their defense to another level.

Dean told the media he would be at camp next week, ready to go, which is enormous considering some thought he wouldn’t play at all this season. That doubt caused him to significantly drop as Dean went from a first-round pick to a third-round one. Now that the truth is out, teams will regret not selecting him while the Eagles laugh at the rest of the league.

The way Philadelphia’s front office spoke about both players told us that they want high character, competitive football players who also have a high football IQ. They got two from Georgia, and it’s great to see the duo reunited to play in the league together.

People doubted Davis too, but the Eagles went for it with both picks, and while they probably could have drafted Dean sooner, it doesn’t matter because they are the ones who got them.

These two will make an immediate impact and get significant playing time this fall. It will be great to see Dean prove everyone wrong, as that chip on his shoulder is deep, especially after this draft went down for him.

Green Bay was the second team that drafted two Georgia football players during the 2022 NFL Draft as they selected Quay Walker with the 22nd and Devonte Wyatt with the 28th pick.

The Packers drafted three consecutive Dawgs dating back to the 2021 NFL Draft when they picked up Eric Stokes in the first round.

While it’s rare to see a team pick up teammates with back-to-back selections, the Packers get a B grade because they took a big risk of not getting a receiver in the first round. Thankfully they got one in the second round, but evidently, they felt these two were far more important for the team’s long-term success.

Some will think they made the right choice, and we are glad they got Walker and Wyatt — it wasn’t exactly what they needed.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers needed someone to throw to, but the Packers went heavy on defense. We don’t blame them. When there are players like the duo they drafted available, you don’t pass them up, but some Packer fans were not happy with that decision.

It worked out, but they get a B because while Walker had an outstanding NFL Combine and is a talented linebacker, he wasn’t the best available. Nakobe Dean was there, but they took a risk and surprised everyone by grabbing Walker.

We don’t want fans to think it’s a complaint that Walker went in the first round because it isn’t, but the Packers were a little riskier than they probably should have been. Wyatt will likely make an immediate impact, and Walker could, but we will see. If he doesn’t right away, Walker will find his way onto the field by the middle of the season.

Both should make the final roster, though, and that is what matters.

Lewis Cine was the final first-round pick for Georgia football as the Minnesota Vikings drafted him 32nd overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.

This year’s first-round started and finished with a Dawg, much like their actual football season and pick-sixes.

Since the Vikings decided to take Cine in the first round, they got an A for their grade. It was a solid choice to take him as the second safety in the draft because Cine was someone who had some first-round projections but was more of a second-round pick. However, the Vikings weren’t waiting to see if he would be available later in the draft and picked him.

Cine will make a great addition to their team and nicely compliment the other defensive backs. He is a coachable player who isn’t afraid to learn and grow.

The Vikings needed some help in their secondary, and Cine is someone who has a lot of skill. He is quick, an excellent tackler, and intelligent. Cine has a high football IQ and is a class act off the field as well.

Cine makes wise decisions off the field because he doesn’t want to jeopardize his career. Minnesota will be able to use him right away and trust that he won’t make many mistakes. If he does slip up, then it’s a learning experience, and he will grow from it, but in terms of off-the-field stuff, they won’t have to worry about him.

He has a lot of experience and got coached by two incredible defensive back minds in Kirby Smart and Will Muschamp. Cine learned from the other defensive back coaches, but those two were key in his development.

George Pickens was the first Dawg off the board on Day 2 of the NFL Draft as the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him with the 52nd overall pick.

The Steelers get a B here because the pairing is odd, but it will work for the talented receiver. Many teams were wary about drafting Pickens since he didn’t have a ton of 2021 film and his knee injury, but the Steelers took their shot.

Some even suggested that his attitude was a big reason he didn’t get drafted higher, but his personality fits well with the Steelers. That aggressive cockiness will fit in nicely, but he will have to keep that in check because you cannot shove and punch NFL players as he did at Georgia Tech a few years back.

Pickens gives the Steelers a strong receiver who has sticky hands and a high football IQ, so he could be a guy who breaks into the starting lineup by Week 2 if he stays healthy.

The biggest question mark is his health, which is why it was interesting to see the Steelers draft him. He is clear to play, but ACL injuries are something to note.

However, after seeing their head coach in Athens for Pro Day watch him closely, they snagged him at what they felt was the right place. Pickens would have been a first-round pick if it weren’t for his injury, so I will also say that the Steelers got him a lot cheaper than he originally would have.

The Steelers get a B here because the outcome is still up in the air in terms of how well this will work out, but if handled the right way Pickens will be a successful rookie.

James Cook was the second offensive player from the Georgia football program taken in the second round. Of all of the Day 2 picks, Cook to the Buffalo Bills made the most sense.

The Bills get an A+ for drafting Cook as it is a perfect fit. Cook may need to add some weight to his frame, but he can catch the ball out of the backfield, is extremely fast, and his vision when toting the rock has gotten so much better the last year.

Buffalo loves a passionate player, and Cook is someone that has unlimited potential.

Some had him coming off the board in round two, but most thought he would be around three or later. Georgia uses its running backs as a group, and each one gets specific reps, so for the Bills to take him this early was a great move.

After returning for his senior season, Cook took it to the next level, and no one truly knows how good he is. It is slightly risky, but it isn’t because Cook has the raw natural talent to succeed. Plus, he has worked his tail off to improve and grow his craft.

The ceiling is high, and the potential is even higher, so the Bills got a solid running back that could turn into their franchise back if it works how it should.

Channing Tindall was the final Georgia football player drafted on Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft as the Dolphins used their first pick of the draft to select him at 102 overall.

He is a third-round deal for the Dolphins, but for them to draft him with their first pick says they were waiting on him, and if Tindall was there, then it was a no-brainer.

Since they chose him, the Dolphins get an A. Tindall had to share the load at linebacker for the best defense in college football. However, he did a lot with his limited reps, and when the Dawgs needed it most, Tindall led the team in tackles and made huge plays in that national championship game.

The Dolphins saw his potential, and Tindall connected with them throughout this process, so it’s a perfect match. He will be able to hit the ground running in south Florida and be a rookie that gets a lot of playing time. The Dawgs put linebackers into the league, and Tindall is the next in line.

Miami saw his potential and snagged him the second they could, so that tells us they liked his versatility, his high ceiling and that he was an instinctive linebacker.

Tindall will see the field early and find success as a rookie, and Miami will see him positively impact their defense.

Georgia football has one day and four rounds left to see if its six remaining players will get drafted into the NFL. These grades may seem biased, but looking at what these teams needed and where they picked up these Georgia players, we liked the way things played out a lot.