Former Georgia Tech guard Omoregie Uzzi was nothing if not a dependable teammate, a player who played hurt and effectively and willingly subjected himself to the rigors of the game for the good of the Yellow Jackets. That devotion will not end with this weekend’s NFL draft.
Uzzi, along with former A-back Orwin Smith, see themselves as something of pioneers for their positions in regard to the NFL. They hope that, if they can make NFL rosters, they will make it easier for their successors in coach Paul Johnson’s spread-option offense in coming years to make the jump to pro football.
“Just hoping I could be that guy,” Uzzi said. “Just kind of put ’em on my back.”
As expected, no Tech players were selected through the draft’s first three rounds. It will conclude Saturday with the final four rounds, followed by the frenzied signings of undrafted rookie free agents. Multiple Tech players could hear their names called Saturday.
Both Uzzi and Smith likely will be taken either at the end of the draft Saturday or be signed as undrafted free agents. Tech’s three most likely draft prospects are on defense. ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay pegged cornerback Rod Sweeting for the fifth round and defensive lineman Izaan Cross for the sixth. He also gave defensive tackle T.J. Barnes a “draftable” grade.
Others hoping for a call Saturday are wide receiver Chris Jackson, long snapper Tyler Morgan and quarterback Tevin Washington.
In talking with scouts, Smith said, “I’ve heard it all, from possibly getting drafted late to if I’m on the board after the draft, they would love to have me.”
Former Tech wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Stephen Hill put to rest the notion that playing in Tech’s run-heavy scheme would keep receivers from getting NFL attention, not to mention Kevin Cone, who made the Falcons as an undrafted rookie with five career catches at Tech.
As a running back, Smith had chances to show his speed on the edge and pass-catching skill, but was not asked to take handoffs and look for holes, a typical skill in a pro-style offense. Likewise, Uzzi could demonstrate his agility and footwork in the Tech offense — which helped make him a two-time first-team All-ACC selection — but not much pass blocking.
“Not saying that coaches or scouts don’t necessarily understand, but I feel like it’s different, it’s something harder to evaluate our film to translate to what they do (in the NFL),” Uzzi said, “whereas, Alabama, they run the same plays, same everything. It’s a little different.”
Uzzi and Smith’s draft stock has not been helped by the fact that neither worked out for NFL scouts in the pre-draft process, where strong results could have helped them stand out. Smith underwent shoulder surgery after participating in a draft showcase game and still is rehabilitating. Uzzi was recovering from injuries he declined to identify and, while now cleared, was not able to work in front of scouts.
Despite a prolific career at Tech, Smith said possibly going undrafted “doesn’t really bother me in a sense because I know what I can do. So I just have to prove it.”
Former Tech offensive linemen Andrew Gardner and Cord Howard both made NFL rosters after playing for Johnson, although Gardner played most of his career in former coach Chan Gailey’s pro-style offense. Howard played for Johnson for two seasons and then made Gailey’s Buffalo Bills roster. Former B-back and A-back Anthony Allen was a seventh-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2011 and has become a special-teams ace, but first was a featured running back at Louisville before transferring to Tech. Former quarterback Joshua Nesbitt also briefly reached the NFL, as a safety with the Bills.
Uzzi and Smith, though, both were Johnson recruits and played their entire careers in the spread-option offense. For both to get drafted and/or make a roster would reinforce Johnson’s message to recruits that NFL teams will find players no matter what the scheme.
Making the NFL “would not only be good for me, but it’d be good for coach Johnson and just the recruiting process,” Smith said.
