Just A Minute: Does Georgia's Impressive Showing at Combine Actually Help Nick Saban?

There are some questions that should be on the mind of every Crimson Tide fan this week following the NFL combine:

Author:
Christopher Walsh
Publish date:
Mar 10, 2022 3:00 PM EST

In this story:

There was an item in Albert Breer's Monday Morning Quarterback notes column on SI.com that got my attention the other day.

"When I sent out texts Saturday night asking who helped themselves the most, one AFC GM responded, “Every Georgia defensive player.” An NFC exec said, “Kirby Smart.” He then texted, “14 players, and they all interviewed and performed well.”

Yes, the Georgia Bulldogs won the NFL combine, which is supposed to happen when you win the national championship.

Georgia had the most players. It had guys really step up and impress, like linebacker Nakobe Dean, edge rusher Travon Walker, safety Lewis Cine, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, linebacker Channing Tindall and the list goes on ...

And then there's Jordan Davis, who despite weighing 341 pounds ran the 40 in 4.78,

You're talking showstopper moment. Moreover, he looked good in position drills as well, making some NFL teams wonder if he can be a three-down player.

There are two ways to take this, of course:

The first, an obvious one, is that it's huge for Smart

The big knocks on him were that he hadn't won a national championship, and wasn't sufficiently developing talent after draft class after draft class was hailed as being as good as any in the nation.

Of course, this changes both of those perceptions.

But then there's the flip side, the one that really has me wondering.

Georgia had the most talented team in college football last season, there's absolutely no denying that. The linemen were thicker than any tree in the region. The skill positions were top-notch. The Bulldogs had skilled veterans nearly across the board, similar to LSU two years ago.

We may see 12-15 players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.

So how did Alabama beat Georgia?

How did it come within a quarter of doing so a second time?

How did Davis get nullified by a reserve center in the SEC Championship Game?

How did Alabama not get blown out without its two biggest playmakers on offense, and two starting cornerbacks on defense?

And when you come to the obvious conclusion on all that, you'll also know why arguably Georgia's best wide receiver has since left the Bulldogs and is now getting ready for spring practices in Tuscaloosa.