The NFL Draft called on 12 former Georgia high school players last week, a sharp drop from a U.S.-leading 29 in 2017 and lowest from the state in 10 years, but still good enough for the sixth nationally, tied with Pennsylvania.
Well ahead of Georgia this year were Florida (35), Texas (27) and California (27), states that Georgia surprisingly surpassed last year despite smaller population.
The 12 is well-below Georgia’s average of 19.1 this decade. Georgia’s rise in NFL prominence can be seen in previous decades. Georgia averaged only 13.5 players taken in 2000-09 and 11.6 in 1990-99.
Still, there was reason to boast about Georgia’s representation this year.
For only the fourth time, two state players were taken among the first 10 picks. They were Bradley Chubb of Hillgrove and N.C. State to the Denver Broncos at No. 5 overall and Roquan Smith of Macon County and Georgia to the Chicago Bears at No. 8.
That also occurred in 2005 (No. 2 Ronnie Brown of Cartersville, No. 6 Adam Jones of Westlake and No. 9 Carlos Rogers of Butler), in 1993 (No. 3 Garrison Hearst of Lincoln County and No. 6 Eric Curry of Thomasville) and in 1982 (No. 3 Chip Banks of Laney and No. 6 Jeff Bryant of Gordon).
Three Georgia players are the first from their schools to be taken in an NFL Draft. They are Nick Chubb of Cedartown, Arden Key of Hapeville Charter and Colby Gossett of North Forsyth. Gossett, in fact, was the first player ever picked from a Forsyth County high school, of which there now are six.
At one point in the third round, four straight Georgia players were taken – Michael Gallup of Monroe Area to Dallas, Tracy Walker of Brunswick to Detroit, Orlando Brown of Peachtree Ridge to Baltimore and Justin Jones of South Cobb to the Los Angeles Chargers. Three picks later, Key went to Oakland.
Two former Norcross players were taken – Lorenzo Carter and Chris Herndon. They were teammates and played on the Blue Devils’ 2012 and 2013 state-championship teams and can join another Norcross teammate, Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints, in the NFL.
Bradley Chubb, the first Georgia player picked in the draft, is a cousin of Nick Chubb, who went in the second round, and close friends with Justin Jones of South Cobb. Bradley Chubb and Jones have been close since the seventh grade in Cobb County and went to N.C. State together by no coincidence.
Jordan Akins of Union Grove, taken by the Houston Texans in the third round, has been drafted into professional sports before, also in the third round. Akins played four seasons in the Texas Rangers baseball organization before re-emerging as a football player at the school for which he originally signed, Central Florida, in 2010. Akins was a quarterback in high school and also attended Strong Rock Christian.
Not all players drafted will make NFL rosters, and many not drafted will sign as free agents. For more information on Georgia's top NFL prospects this year, including all 12 that were drafted, see NFL Draft: A look at every prospect from Georgia.
The information on high schools from this year's draft comes primarily from High School Football America. Data from previous seasons are taken primarily from the Georgia High School Football Historians Association.
Georgia players in the 2018 NFL Draft:
First round
5. DE Bradley Chubb, Hillgrove (N.C. State) - Denver Broncos
8. LB Roquan Smith, Macon County (Georgia) - Chicago Bears
Second round
35. RB Nick Chubb, Cedartown (Georgia) - Cleveland Browns
Third round
66. LB Lorenzo Carter Norcross (Georgia) - New York Giants
81. WR Michael Gallup, Monroe Area (Colorado State) - Dallas Cowboys
82. S Tracy Walker, Brunswick (Louisiana) - Detroit Lions
83. OL Orlando Brown, Peachtree Ridge (Oklahoma) - Baltimore Ravens
84. DT Justin Jones South Cobb (N.C. State) - Los Angeles Chargers
87. DE Arden Key, Hapeville Charter (LSU) - Oakland Raiders
98. TE Jordan Akins, Union Grove (Central Florida) - Houston Texans
Fourth round
107. TE Chris Herndon, Norcross (Miami) - New York Jets
Sixth round
213. G Colby Gossett, North Forsyth (Appalachian State) - Minnesota Vikings
Numbers of Georgia players taken in the NFL Draft by year:
1988 - 12
1989 - 16
1990 - 11
1991 - 13
1992 - 13
1993 - 14
1994 - 4
1995 - 9
1996 - 14
1997 - 9
1998 - 15
1999 - 14
2000 - 15
2001 - 18
2002 - 13
2003 - 13
2004 - 13
2005 - 13
2006 - 13
2007 - 12
2008 - 12
2009 - 13
2010 - 16
2011 - 19
2012 - 14
2013 - 20
2014 - 17
2015 - 30
2016 - 15
2017 - 29
2018 – 12
2018 NFL Draftees by state*
35 - Florida
27 - Texas
27 - California
15 - Virginia
14 - North Carolina
12 - Georgia
12 - Pennsylvania
11 - Louisiana
9 - Alabama
9 - Mississippi
8 - New Jersey
7 - Maryland
6 - Michigan
6 - Ohio
5 - Illinois
5 - Colorado
5 - Tennessee
3 - Indiana
3 - South Carolina
3 - Nevada
3 - Arizona
2 - Iowa
2 - Kentucky
2 - Utah
2 - Washington
2 - Massachusetts
2 - Delaware
2 - Australia
2 - Kansas
2 - New York
2 - Minnesota
2 - Arkansas
1 - Montana
1 - Wisconsin
1 - Washington, DC
1 - Idaho
1 - Missouri
1 - Wyoming
1 - South Dakota
1 - Canada
1 - Nebraska
*Source: High School Football America
