Kirby Smart has had 84 players drafted in ten seasons at Georgia, and 21 of them went in the first round, which is the same number of games he has lost. The 2022 class of 15 remains the largest any school has produced in a single draft, and the 2026 class added eight more, led by tackle Monroe Freeling at No. 19.
| Picks under Smart, 2017 to 2026 | 84 |
| First rounders under Smart | 21 |
| First round picks all time | 52 |
| Most picks in one draft | 15, in 2022, the NFL record |
| Most first rounders in one draft | 5, in 2022, all on defence |
| NFL teams that have drafted a Bulldog since 2017 | 30 of 32 |
The 2026 Draft
Eight Bulldogs were selected. Monroe Freeling went 19th to Carolina, the sixth Georgia offensive tackle taken in the first round under Smart. Five more went on the second night, including two to New Orleans, and the class was heavy on the defence and skill positions that carried the 2025 SEC championship team.
| Pick | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1st round, No. 19 | OT Monroe Freeling | Carolina Panthers |
| 2nd round, No. 42 | DL Christen Miller | New Orleans Saints |
| 2nd round, No. 53 | LB CJ Allen | Indianapolis Colts |
| 3rd round, No. 73 | TE Oscar Delp | New Orleans Saints |
| 3rd round, No. 79 | WR Zachariah Branch | Atlanta Falcons |
| 3rd round, No. 85 | DB Daylen Everette | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 4th round, No. 140 | WR Colbie Young | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 6th round | OL Micah Morris | Eighth and final Georgia pick |
Delp was the seventh Georgia tight end drafted in eight years. Allen was the thirteenth linebacker taken under Smart, the position group that has produced more Georgia draft picks than any other in the era.
The 2022 Record
Fifteen Georgia players were drafted in 2022, the most from any school in the common draft era, and five went in the first round: Travon Walker first overall to Jacksonville, Jordan Davis, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt and Lewis Cine. All five were defensive players from the 2021 national championship unit, the most from one defence ever taken in a single first round. Green Bay took Walker and Wyatt, the first time one team had drafted two defensive players from the same school in the first round.
The 2025 Draft
Thirteen Bulldogs were selected, with three first rounders: Mykel Williams to San Francisco at 11, Jalon Walker to Atlanta at 15 and Malaki Starks to Baltimore at 27. It was the fourth time in five drafts Georgia had reached double figures.
The Smart Pace
Smart had 45 players drafted in his first six seasons. Nick Saban had 27 in his first six at Alabama and Dabo Swinney 28 at Clemson. Smart reached 50 draft picks in seven years, which took Saban nine. The 84 total across ten seasons is the fastest accumulation of draft picks by any coach in the sport’s history, and 30 of the 32 NFL franchises have taken at least one Georgia player in that span.
The Bottom Line
Georgia has produced 84 draft picks and 21 first rounders in ten seasons under Kirby Smart, including the record 15 player class of 2022 with its five defensive first rounders. The 2026 class of eight was led by Monroe Freeling at No. 19, and the program has now sent a first round pick to the league in nine consecutive drafts. Our All-Americans page covers the college honours behind the pipeline.