ATHENS — Isaiah McKenzie was a surprise entrant into the NFL draft. As it turns out, if he hadn’t entered, Georgia wouldn’t have had anybody picked at all.
The Denver Broncos selected McKenzie, Georgia's leading receiver last year, in the fifth round of the NFL draft on Saturday. He was the first and only Bulldog to be picked.
It's the least amount of Georgia players selected in the draft since 1992, when none were picked. But two former Georgia players were picked this year: Lamar cornerback Brendan Langley in the third round and Louisville safety Josh Harvey-Clemons in the seventh round.
McKenzie was Georgia’s leading receiver last year as a junior, and also set the school record for punt return touchdowns. But his prospect status was diminished by his 5-foot-7 height.
The last time Georgia didn’t have a player selected in the first round rounds was 2014, when quarterback Aaron Murray lasted until the fifth round. That was also the last time the Bulldogs had fewer than three players selected. The Bulldogs only had two selected that year.
Other Georgia players who had been hoping to hear their name called and will now likely sign free-agent deals: Offensive linemen Greg Pyke, Tyer Catalina and Brandon Kublanow, and defensive backs Maurice Smith and Quincy Mauger.
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