Why Keylan Rutledge could shatter Tech’s 1st-round NFL draft glass ceiling
Georgia Tech football could have a presence in the first round of the NFL draft this year for the first time in 16 years in the form of Keylan Rutledge.
ESPN analyst Peter Schrager recently projected the All-American guard from Franklin County High School as the No. 31 overall pick in the upcoming draft, which takes place April 23-26 in Pittsburgh.
Schrager suggests the projection might surprise some, but it wouldn’t catch Georgia Tech coach Brent Key off guard.
“This is the toughest player I’ve ever coached, at that position, any position on the offensive line,” Key said of the 6-foot-4, 316-pound Rutledge.
“I wouldn’t trade him for one offensive guard in the country.”
Drew Fabianich, a former NFL scout who is now the executive director of the Senior Bowl, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Rutledge played as advertised throughout Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Alabama, on Jan. 26-Feb. 1.
“Keylan’s a mauler. Very physical, violent on the field,” Fabianich said Thursday. “Someone will be thrilled to have him. He’ll start for 10 years in the league, and he can put his hand on the ball and snap, too.”
Fabianich said Rutledge impressed Senior Bowl officials and NFL personnel on hand even before he arrived.
“He drove from Dallas (where he was training) to Mobile because of an ice storm,” Fabianich said. “He wasn’t going to be late reporting, and that tells you about him as a person and shows how much he loves the game.”
Schrager likes the high projection for Rutledge to New England, noting the Patriots’ needs on the offensive line.
“He allowed just two sacks over his 43 career starts,” Schrager wrote. “In talking to teams over the past few weeks, Rutledge is viewed as a Day 1 or Day 2 prospect.
“At this point, the Patriots need to protect Drake Maye, and even if it’s viewed as a reach on draft day, this could be the guy to get the job done.”
The Yellow Jackets haven’t produced a first-round NFL pick since the 2010 draft, when former Tech stars Derrick Morgan and Demaryius Thomas were selected No. 16 and No. 22 overall, respectively.
Rutledge already claimed a piece of Georgia Tech history earlier this season, becoming the first Jackets player to be named first-team All-American in consecutive years since College and Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson (2005 and 2006).
The most recent Jackets offensive lineman to be picked in the first round was tackle Kent Hall, back in 1979.
Key has quickly transformed Georgia Tech’s physicality levels in his quest to conquer Georgia for state honors and will be intent on producing more prolific blockers like Rutledge. Rutledge said he’s exiting a program that’s on solid ground.
“I know coach Key is going to do great things over there,” Rutledge said during his NFL combine interview. “Coach Key is going to have the right kind of guys. He knows if you’re a tough guy, and he knows who’s not, and he’s going to have the right guys.”
Here’s a look at the history of Georgia Tech players selected in the first round of past NFL drafts:
Georgia Tech first-round picks
2010
- DE Derrick Morgan, No. 16, Tennessee
- WR Demaryius Thomas, No. 22, Denver
2007
- WR Calvin Johnson, No. 2, Detroit
1998
- LB Keith Brooking, No. 12l, Atlanta
1992
- DE Marco Coleman, No. 12, Miami
1979
- RB Eddie Lee Ivery, No. 15, Green Bay
- OT Kent Hill, No. 26, Los Angeles Rams
1962
- OG Rufus Guthrie, No. 10, Los Angeles Rams
1955
- C Larry Morris, No. 7, Los Angeles Rams
1945
- RB Eddie Prokop, No. 4, Boston
About the Author
Mike is in his 10th season covering SEC and Georgia athletics for AJC-DawgNation and has 25 years of CFB experience. Mike is a Heisman Trophy voter and former Football Writers President who was named the National FWAA Beat Writer of the Year in January, 2018.
