Part 4, G/C: Who let the dawgs out?
The Georgia Bulldogs are again sending mammoth linemen to the NFL. Which one has a chance to start a decade-plus? Bob McGinn's series continues with a look at the guards/centers, mullets optional.
This is the 41st year, and the fourth at Go Long, that Bob McGinn has written a position-by-position series previewing the NFL draft. Previously, it appeared in the Green Bay Press-Gazette (1985-’91), the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (1992-2017), BobMcGinnFootball.com (2018-’19) and The Athletic (2020-’21). Until 2014, many personnel people were quoted by name. The series reluctantly an all-anonymous format in 2015 at the request of most scouts.
Fourth of 12 parts: Guards and Centers.
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By Bob McGinn
The Georgia Bulldogs were one decision away from having their entire offensive line drafted by NFL teams next month.
Tackle Earnest Greene, a two-year starter, elected to stay in school after an injury-shortened third season. If he had declared, scouts projected him as a third-or-fourth round draft choice.
With Greene back in school, the Bulldogs still figure to have four interior players drafted. The list includes center Jared Wilson, guards Tate Ratledge (pictured above) and Dylan Fairchild and guard-tackle Xavier Truss.
Four drafted O-linemen is a haul even for Georgia, which along with Michigan has had the most offensive linemen drafted in the last five years. Four of the Bulldogs’ 11 selections have been in the first round whereas just one of Michigan’s 11 landed in Round 1.
Over the years Georgia wasn’t known as a fertile producing ground for the big uglies. Wisconsin, Iowa and a few others were. In the decade from 2010-’19, the Bulldogs had just eight drafted.
Kirby Smart’s first four seasons in Athens sent three offensive linemen to the draft.
Sam Pittman, Smart’s first O-line coach, helped recruit and develop the unit into one of the nation’s best. After Pittman became coach at Arkansas in early 2020, Matt Lake coached the Bulldogs’ offensive line for two seasons before Stacy Searels took over in 2022.
The three-man draft class of 2020 included first-rounders Andrew Thomas (No. 4) and Isaiah Wilson (No. 29). The two-man draft classes in each of the last four years included first-rounders Broderick Jones (No. 14, 2023) and Amarius Mims (No. 18, 2024).
“One thing I give credit to for any player from Georgia is they get coached hard and they practice hard all year,” a Southeast area scout said. “You go to a Tuesday or a Wednesday practice in October in Athens and they’re all going good on good run to the ground. Guys gotta be tough to play there.”
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Links to date:
GUARDS
1. TYLER BOOKER, Alabama (6-4 ½, 326, 5.34, 1): Third-year junior. “He’s a pretty safe bet to be the first guard,” one scout said. “He has the most solid foundation. Now he may be a little bit more of a gap-scheme than a run-off-the-ball wide-zone type. He’s a big body. Real big personality. He’s very much liked at the school. He’s been paid a lot of money. There’s some maturity there.” Rotated at both guards in 2022 before starting 25 games at left guard in 2023-’24. Last season, one of his starts came at left tackle. “Giant human being,” said a second scout.