INDIANAPOLIS — Georgia has 14 players at the scouting combine, the most of any school this year.

The Falcons have not drafted a player from Georgia since taking linebacker Akeem Dent in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft.

“That’s exciting,” Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said of the Georgia contingent. “Kirby (Smart) and that whole staff, that whole building, they did a great job building what they built there.”

As many as four Bulldogs are expected to be selected in the first round of the draft.

“It is kind of overwhelming when you look at all the players on that roster, particularly on defense, but also on offense,” Fontenot said. “They have some really good players. ... They’re right around the corner. So, we have to really evaluate those players and look at them.”

In addition to the 14 players from Georgia, there are 24 other players from the state participating in the scouting combine.

“The interesting thing, too, is when you look around the league and there are so many local players from Georgia that are really good,” Fontenot said. “I’m hoping we actually can have the locals day. We weren’t allowed to have it last year with COVID.

“But if we can have that, that’s exciting because there’s a lot of kids that grew up in the Georgia area that ended up in some different areas that are really good football players. So, we’re excited about spending a lot of time with those Georgia players.”

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