Georgia Bulldogs Football

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 238

HAND: 9"

ARM: 32 5/8"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.39

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 41.5"

BROAD: 10'8"

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POSITIVES

— On passing downs, he times up the snap well and has good acceleration off the ball to win with speed.

— Works to get to square during the stem phase of a rush to give himself a two-way go and has a nice hesitation/skip move to win around the edge.

— Impressive change of direction and quickness to win with inside and outside stick moves, especially if he can be more consistent with his use of hands. He did get more accurate with his hands from year-to-year, showing growth in that area.

— Good bend to turn a tight corner and take an efficient path to the quarterback after winning around the edge.

— When slanting against the run, he covers so much ground laterally that he doesn't have to tip it with pre-snap alignment. He throws off the offensive lineman's angle while simultaneously dipping his shoulder to reduce the surface area to block, getting the lineman off-balance so he can get penetration.

— Physical at the point of attack and has pop in his hands to get extension and shed blocks from offensive tackles fairly easily. He's violent when shedding and has shown flashes of using his quickness to defeat blocks, too.

— Can set the edge versus outside zone or as the force player against pullers on power and counter.

— Takes on blocks with a wide base and is stronger than his 235-pound frame would suggest to hold his ground versus offensive tackles.

— Form tackler, good pad level, wraps up and runs his feet through contact. He's not going to miss many tackles.

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NEGATIVES

— His get-off is much slower and more deliberate on running downs, which makes it more difficult for him to win around the edge if the offense does pass and leads to a slower run-pass transition versus play action.

— Doesn't have a ton of power behind his bull rush and doesn't work to get on an edge to collapse the pocket against offensive tackles.

— Needs to be more consistent with the accuracy of his hand swipes when starting pass-rush moves.

— Not very effective in line games as the looper or penetrator. He could afford to push vertical more on the tackle to help sell the game.

— Could afford to add some weight to help him hold ground against base blocks from the bigger and elite NFL offensive tackles.

— Didn't look comfortable dropping into coverage. He'd often cover grass in zone coverage and would struggle to stay in phase versus tight ends in man.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 8 GM, 18 TOT, 7 TFL, 3 SK, 16 QBH

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NOTES

— DOB: Jan. 18, 2001

— A 5-star recruit in the 2019 class, No. 1 overall, No. 1 WDE, per 247Sports composite rating.

— Injuries: 2021 (elbow, missed one game), 2022 (torn pec, season-ending surgery and missed every game after Week 9)

— Arrested for driving with a suspended license and speeding through a construction zone (misdemeanor) in January 2022, completed pre-trail diversion program in lieu of formal conviction

— 23 career starts

— 2022 Honors: Second-team preseason All-American (Athlon Sports)

— 2021 Honors: Two-time SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week (Weeks 3 and 9)

— 2019 Honors: Georgia's Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year

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OVERALL

For someone who is only listed at 235 pounds, Nolan Smith is a lot stronger than you'd think and is surprisingly a better run defender than pass-rusher. He gets extension against offensive linemen pretty easily and will occasionally have them falling on their faces with how violent he is when shedding.

Smith might have a tougher time holding up against the bigger and more physical offensive tackles at the next level with his lean frame, but he has plenty of room for growth to add 10 to 15 pounds.

He can also be lethal when slanting with how quick and agile he is to throw off blockers' angels and get penetration. Long story short, he has very few flaws against the run and has the upside to be even better with some added mass.

However, he's certainly a run-first player, which has a distinct impact on his get-off in rushing situations. He's likely going to have trouble with pressure on first and second downs as he won't be able to win with speed getting off the ball so late and struggles to collapse the pocket as a bull-rusher.

The Georgia product does have a few traits and moves in his pass-rush arsenal that he can win with on passing downs, though. He sets up his stick moves well by getting to square and giving himself a two-way go, and he has the bend to turn tight corners when winning around the edge. Working on the consistency of his use of hands to defeat the offensive lineman's hands will allow him to grow in that department.

Schematically, Smith's weight might be an issue for an even-front team that's looking for a more traditional, hand-in-the-ground defensive end. But if a team thinks they'll be able to add size to his frame in their weight program, he's strong and physical enough as it is to get the job done. However, recovering from a torn pec might scare some of these teams off.

He could play as a standup outside linebacker on odd fronts, too. That's closer to how he was used in college, but he wasn't the best in coverage which could be an issue in that scheme at the next level. That being said, he does have good athleticism to flush that part of his game out.

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GRADE: 8.3 (Year 1 Starter)

OVERALL RANK: 13

POSITION RANK: EDGE3

PRO COMPARISON: Melvin Ingram

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Written by B/R NFL Draft Scout Matt Holder

HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 314

HAND: 10 1/4"

ARM: 33 1/2"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: TBD

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: TBD

BROAD: TBD

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POSITIVES

— Good size for an NFL defensive tackle and carries little to no bad weight. Has room for growth on his frame if needed.

— Accelerates off the line of scrimmage well in pass-rush situations or when given a jet/go call to put pressure on offensive linemen immediately.

— Combines that get-off with low pad level, strength and physicality at the point of attack to help collapse the pocket with a bull rush.

— Does a good job of working to get on an edge instead of trying to go straight through an offensive lineman's chest.

— Shows impressive quickness, active hands and athleticism to win with finesse moves as a rusher.

— Has a wide array of pass-rush moves that he can win with: bull rush, push-pull, arm over/swim, rip, cross chop, etc.

— Impressive agility, bend and a limber lower half help him take an efficient path to the quarterback when slanting or when turning a tight corner after beating an offensive lineman.

— Great pass-rush motor to get coverage sacks and fight through double-teams.

— Has the quickness and nimbleness against the run to change the offensive lineman's aiming point and get off or avoid blocks, especially when slanting.

— Also has the agility to gain ground vertically and laterally with his first step when slanting.

— Has the athletic ability to redirect and make the offensive lineman miss if slanting puts him out of position.

— Has good knee bend to get leverage advantage when he does take on blocks, and has plenty of strength to get extension and shed.

— Violent when shedding to help get off blocks.

— Has the strength to hold his ground versus one-on-one blocks and won't pop his gap/leave his assignment early.

— Little to no issues making tackles near the line of scrimmage.

— Hustle player with decent speed to factor into gang tackles in pursuit.

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NEGATIVES

— More deliberate off the ball when he isn't slanting on running downs, which could cause him to lose some ground against physical offensive linemen in the NFL.

— Takes on blocks with a narrow base when one-gapping.

— Was reliant on his upper-body strength in college.

— Has wide hand placement against the run and when bull-rushing.

— Linemen with strong grip strength will be able to get to his chest and latch on.

— Struggles to recognize and anticipate double-teams coming to turn his hip into the second blocker.

— Will get caught off guard and kicked inside against doubles.

— Can fall into a habit of doing too much dancing before bull-rushing.

— Needs to just get off the ball and get into the blocker every time.

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2022 Statistics

— 13 G, 32 TOT, 7 TFL, 3 SK, 2 FF, 31 QBH

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NOTES

— 5-star recruit in the 2020 class, No. 18 nationally, No. 4 DT, per 247Sports composite rankings

— Injuries: 2022 ankle (limited 1 game, missed 1 game), 2022 knee/MCL sprain (missed 2 games)

— 11 career starts, played with three first-round defensive linemen last season

— 2021 Honors: Coaches' All-SEC second team

— Played basketball and was a competitive weightlifter in high school

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OVERALL

When watching Travon Walker, Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt last year, Jalen Carter constantly kept popping off the tape.

Carter was the best player on a defensive line that featured three 2022 first-round picks, including the first overall selection. That's part of the reason why he's been considered a top-five player throughout the 2023 NFL draft process.

Unlike a lot of defensive tackles who have a specialty, the Florida native is about as versatile as they come. He's quick and athletic to make offensive linemen miss as a run defender and has plenty of strength to hold up against and shed one-on-one blocks. As a pass-rusher, he can win with power using a bull rush or push-pull move or around the edges with finesse moves.

A lot of the Georgia product's negatives are admittedly nitpicky. There are a few technical flaws that he needs to clean up, most notably his hand placement on bull rushes and against the run, but most of his issues are easily fixable. His biggest area for concern in the NFL is probably his ability to take on double-teams, which slightly impacts his scheme fit.

Carter would be best as a 3-technique for a team that uses a lot of even fronts. He has the athleticism to also play as a 4i- to 5-technique in odd fronts, but his struggles against double-teams would be a major issue playing anywhere further inside than a 2i, and even that might be pushing it. He also lacks to size to play too close to the center.

With that said, any team picking toward the top of the draft that's looking for an interior defender who can make an impact against the run and as a pass-rusher should be more than happy to select Carter.

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GRADE: 9.5 (Top-Five Prospect)

OVERALL RANK: 2

POSITION RANK: DL1

PRO COMPARISON: Warren Sapp

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Written by B/R NFL Draft Scout Matt Holder

Damon Wilson, a 5-star edge-rusher, announced Wednesday that he has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs.

He chose to join the Bulldogs over Ohio State and Alabama:

Another win for Georgia‼️ 🐶

Damon Wilson, the No. 3 DE in the 2023 ESPN 300, selected the Dawgs over Ohio State and Alabama! pic.twitter.com/LOpMvxCQGw

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 21, 2022

Wilson is a 5-star prospect in the class of 2023 out of Venice, Florida. He is ranked as the 13th-best prospect in the country and the second-best edge rusher, per 247Sports' composite ratings.

The only edge-rusher ranked above him is Keon Keeley, who signed his letter of intent with Alabama on Wednesday.

247Sports' Southeast recruiting analyst Andrew Ivins provided a scouting report on the 6'4", 230-pound edge rusher out of Venice High School:

One of the best pure pass rushers in the class of 2023. Can not only win with his initial burst, but is also skilled at chopping, dipping and ripping his way around the corner. ... Has what it takes to emerge as an impact player for a College Football Playoff contender. Might not be the longest cat, but testing profile (4.5 in the short shuttle to go along with a broad jump over 10 feet) and high success rate when it comes to getting home likely to have NFL talent evaluators buzzing one day.

Georgia has had one of the best defenses in the nation over the last several seasons. Wilson will now join a talented Bulldogs 2023 class that includes 5-star cornerback AJ Harris and number of 4-star recruits.

Wilson should hit the ground running in his freshman season at Georgia..

If Georgia is going to have an opportunity to try to win a second consecutive national championship, it will first need to get past Ohio State. And that may not be the easiest task.

The Bulldogs and Buckeyes are set to face off in a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup on Dec. 31, when they'll go head-to-head in the Peach Bowl. It should be close to a home atmosphere for Georgia, considering the game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Not only will Ohio State have farther to travel, but it will be looking to pull off an upset. Georgia is the No. 1 seed in the CFP after going 13-0 and winning the SEC championship. Ohio State is the No. 4 seed despite not reaching the Big Ten Championship Game after finishing the regular season at 11-1.

Here's everything else you need to know heading into this year's Peach Bowl.

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Latest Peach Bowl Odds

Spread: Georgia -6.5

Over/Under: 62 points

Moneyline: Georgia -260 (bet $260 to win $100); Ohio State +220 (bet $100 to win $220)

Via DraftKings Sportsbook

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Preview, Prediction

Georgia and Ohio State have been two of the top college football programs in recent years. Yet it's been quite some time since the Bulldogs and Buckeyes have crossed paths.

The only previous meeting between Georgia and Ohio State came at the end of the 1992 season, when the Bulldogs defeated the Buckeyes 21-14 in the Citrus Bowl. Could there be a similar result this time?

It's no surprise that Georgia is favorited to win. It stormed through the regular season in impressive fashion, then beat LSU 50-30 in the SEC Championship Game.

The Bulldogs have mostly relied on their dominant defense to win games. They're allowing only 292.1 total yards per contest (ninth best in the country), and they're especially tough against the run, giving up an FBS-low 77 rushing yards per game.

It will be interesting to see whether Georgia's defense can shut down a loaded Ohio State offense led by redshirt sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud, one of the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy. He'll be looking to frequently get the ball into the hands of talented sophomore wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart is hoping to see his defense perform better than it did in its last showing against LSU.

"We can't play the defense we played [in the SEC Championship Game] and expect to be any kind of champions," Smart recently said, per Chase Brown of Eleven Warriors.

When Georgia has the ball, it will have a Heisman finalist of its own leading its offense. Sixth-year quarterback Stetson Bennett has again done a strong job of guiding the Bulldogs this year, and he knows what it takes to win when the stakes are raised.

That will be the case for quite a few players on Georgia's roster. The Bulldogs defeated Michigan and Alabama in the College Football Playoff last season to capture the program's first national title since the 1980 season.

Because of that experience and its shutdown defense, Georgia will be heading back to the CFP National Championship Game on Jan. 9. Ohio State could keep things close early in the Peach Bowl, but it's going to get a bit overmatched in the second half.

The Bulldogs will start to pull away late and come up with some big stops, taking down the Buckeyes to move on.

Prediction: Georgia 31, Ohio State 21

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