They had to wait a long time to hear their names called Friday, but Georgia’s John Jenkins and Shawn Williams became the third and fourth Bulldogs selected in the NFL draft.
Jenkins, a 6-foot-3, 248-pound nose guard, went to the New Orleans Saints in the third round with the 82nd pick overall. Two selections later, safety Shawn Williams went No. 84 to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jenkins and Williams join outside linebacker Jarvis Jones and inside linebacker Alec Ogletree as 2013 draftees. Jones (17th) and Ogletree (30th) both went in the first round Thursday. The second and third rounds were held Friday, and the remaining rounds will take place Saturday.
Jenkins is a prototypical nose guard for a 3-4 defense, which the Saints are switching to this year under new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. At Georgia, Jenkins also slid outside to play tackle when teammate Kwame Geathers played nose.
A transfer from Gulf Coast Community College in Mississippi, Jenkins played two seasons with the Bulldogs. He started 20 of 27 games and finished his career with 78 tackles, four tackles and eight tackles for loss. He also had an interception and two fumble recoveries.
The only blemish on Jenkins’ record at UGA was his failure to maintain his academic eligibility for the Bulldogs’ Capital One Bowl game against Nebraska. Jenkins later blamed his shortcoming on a concussion suffered in the SEC Championship game, which he said affected his concentration for final exams.
Williams was the unofficial captain of Georgia’s defense this past season and had a tremendously productive four-year career. He played in every game possible in his four-year career, starting the last 30 of 54. Primarily a strong safety — he started one game at inside linebacker — Williams finished his career with 209 tackles, four interceptions, 11 pass break-ups, five quarterback pressures, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.
Williams is best known at Georgia for calling out the defense and a few teammates in particular for being soft. His comments came after the Bulldogs lost to South Carolina 31-7 on Oct. 6. Georgia held No. 2 Florida without a touchdown two weeks later and didn’t lose another game until the SEC Championship game against Alabama.
Georgia has as many as 13 players that could be selected in this year’s draft. The most it has ever had in a single year of a seven-round draft is eight in 2002.
Defensive end Cornelius Washington, cornerback Sanders Commings and safety Bacarri Rambo were among the Bulldogs still on the board as the third round came to a close.
About the Author
