Georgia's Defensive Dominance Highlighted By Impressive Draft Statistic

After Nolan Smith was selected in the first-round of the 2023 NFL draft, Georgia has now had at least one defensive player at every position drafted in the first-round over the last three NFL drafts.

Immediately upon being introduced as Georgia’s head football coach following the 2015 season, Kirby Smart set out to upgrade Georgia’s talent to a championship level. His overwhelming success in accomplishing that goal has been made clear not only by Georgia’s consecutive national championships, but also by the program’s recent run of success in the NFL draft. A year after setting a record with 15 total draft picks in the 2022 NFL draft, Georgia’s 10 draft selections in last week’s 2023 draft once again led the nation in total draft picks. Perhaps even more spectacularly, after the 2023 draft the Georgia defense - which has formed the backbone of Georgia’s back-to-back national championships - has now seen at least one player at every defensive position drafted in the first-round over the past three seasons.  

𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐄 Defense#GoDawgs | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/QPIt8JTVKx

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) April 28, 2023

The names, draft position, year, and the team each first-round defender was drafted by are listed below:

CB - Eric Stokes, No.29 by the Green Bay Packers in the 2021 NFL draft

DE - Travon Walker, No.1 by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 NFL draft

NT - Jordan Davis, No.13 by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2022 NFL draft

DT - Devonte Wyatt, No. 29 by the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL draft; Jalen Carter, No.9 by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2022 NFL draft

ILB - Quay Walker, No.22 by the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL draft

S - Lewis Cine, No.32 by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2022 NFL draft

OLB - Nolan Smith, No.31 by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2022 NFL draft

Under Smart’s watch, the Georgia defense has seen an infusion of talent that has translated into tremendous results on the field in the form of back-to-back national championships. The recent dominance of the Georgia defense has clearly caught the attention of the NFL, as evidenced by the sheer volume of former Georgia defenders NFL teams have drafted over the course of the last three NFL drafts. As Smart continues to reel in talented defenders at an extraordinary rate, the Bulldogs are likely to continue to set NFL draft records in the coming years.