Plenty of former Georgia Bulldogs have seen a lot of success to kick off the 2026 NFL season. While guys like Matthew Stafford, James Cook and Brock Bowers continue to dominate in ways that you would expect, there have been some other Dawgs who hae made their presence felt in the NFL.
These three guys were faced with expectations to be a solid-to-good player in the new season, but they have exceeded expectations through the first few games of the year.
1. Nakobe Dean top 15 in NFL in tackles
NFL front offices put an unfair warning label on Nakobe Dean early in his young professional career due to injury concerns. When the Philadelphia Eagles decided to no longer pursue Dean, the Las Vegas Raiders took a chance on Dean by signing him to a multi-year contract. While some fans thought this would be a major mistake that would cost the Raiders, Dean has not only proved them otherwise but has played like he could be one of the best Raider free agency signings in recent history.
As of now, the former Butkus Award winner is top 15 in the NFL in total tackles and leads the Raiders in said category with 28. Dean also leads the Raiders in tackles for loss, solo tackles and forced fumbles.
His 22 solo tackles currently leads the entire NFL. The linebacker's contributions to the defense has completely transformed this organization from the worst team in the league to an undefeated record through three games.
2. Amarius Mims has yet to allow a QB pressure
This is without a doubt one of the most impressive statistics in this article, and maybe in the National Football League. Not only has former Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims yet to allow a sack this season, he has yet to allow anyone to even pressure Joe Burrow. To take it even farther, he has had 111 straight pass block snaps go without a QB pressure.
The second best in the league? Theo Benedet with 16. The Bengals expectations for Mims in 2026 was to grow as a young player and have solid protection for Burrow who in years past has faced extreme pressure in the pocket in Cincinnati. Mims has taken that expectation and exceeded it by a substantial margin.
Oh, and don't forget that Mims has played against Will Anderson, TJ Watt, Reuben Bain, and Danielle Hunter this season who are some of the best pass rushers in the league.
3. Quay Walker making his presence felt in Vegas
The Raiders did the smart thing this past offseason and paired together two starting linebackers from one of the best defenses in the history of college football. The Raiders signed Quay Walker to pair with Dean in the linebacking core, and just like Dean, it has proved to be well worth the price to bring him to Vegas.
Walker is second on the team in total tackles with 24, which is also good for top 25 in the NFL. His speed and versatility have been felt early, as well as his ability to be exactly where he needs to in nearly every play. Walker also has a fumble recovery on a year that sealed the Raiders win over Miami two weeks ago.
Brock Bowers has been waiting to have a good team around him in Vegas since joining the NFL, and he may finally have that thanks to two more Bulldogs joining his team.
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