ATHENS — Kirby Smart’s buzzphrase — “you’re elite, or you’re not,” is resonating with NFL teams that selected Georgia players in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The three Bulldogs selected in the opening round of the draft in April — Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker and Malaki Starks — are reportedly shining bright in their initial workouts, per ESPN.com.
Williams, taken 11th overall by San Francisco after persevering through an injury-plagued 2024 season, has impressed with his attitude.
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“He’s got a lot of talent, a lot of eagerness to learn, more so than I’ve seen probably from any young guy,” veteran end Nick Bosa said in the ESPN report. “He just wants to learn as much as he can, and I’m excited to give all the knowledge I can to him.”
Williams showed up big when UGA needed him most last season, recording four of his five sacks against Texas’ celebrated offensive line in UGA’s two wins over the Longhorns.
Walker, selected by Atlanta with the 15th overall pick, has carried his leadership skills and talents over to the NFL to the extent head coach Raheem Morris is raving about him.
“The human, the character, the person, the player, the all-in mentality,” Morris said in ESPN’s report.
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“He has those captain-like traits, and when you first meet him, you get that feel, you get that vibe from him, and he’ll be one of those guys.”
Walker’s athleticism and versatility have been apparent from the onset, leading many to believe he’ll provide an immediate lift to the Falcons’ defense.
Starks, selected 27th by the Baltimore Ravens, is applying the vast amount of knowledge gained playing under Smart in the Bulldogs’ secondary.
“You throw a situation at him, and he knows,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, per ESPN. “He’s been studying and comes prepared. I’ve never seen him make a real mistake yet. He’s very much a pro, probably way advanced beyond his years.”
No doubt, Smart’s philosophy of coaching up his defensive backs to play multiple positions is already paying huge dividends for Starks.
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Time will tell if Georgia’s most recent NFL draft class — which also includes projected Detroit Lions offensive line starter Tate Ratledge and explosive tailback Trevor Etienne — can match up to last year’s class.
But all indications are that there has been little drop off in the talent and preparation teams are getting from players developed at Georgia under Smart.
