One of the narratives about Georgia's Isaiah Wilson going into the draft as an underclassmen is he should've stayed in college another year in order to improve his draft status. As it turns out, he couldn't have moved up all that far.
Wilson became the Bulldogs' second first-rounder -- and second tackle -- selected in Thursday's NFL draft.
The 6-foot-6, 350-pound redshirt sophomore from Brooklyn, N.Y., went to the Tennessee Titans with the 29th pick overall. That came 25 spots after his friend and linemate at Georgia, Andrew Thomas, who went fourth to the New York Giants.
🗣 Isaiah Wilson @_LayZay_ | #TitansDraft pic.twitter.com/bPa3QVfQsd
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 24, 2020
"I know it's a team with a great culture," Wilson said told TennesseeTitans.com. "They want to win, they do win. They like to run the ball and pound people, and they throw the ball as well. I am just happy to be a part of the (Titans) family. I love the culture there.”
Both tackles were recruited to Georgia by former offensive line coach Sam Pittman. Pittman was named Arkansas's head coach in December.
Despite signing with Georgia as a 5-star prospect out of Poly Prep Country Day School in 2017, Wilson was redshirted his freshman season in Athens. Arriving at more than 350 pounds, Wilson had a difficult time adjusting to Georgia's stifling heat and humidity in his first preseason camp.
Ironically, it was Thomas who beat out Wilson for the right-tackle job that first year. After left tackle Isaiah Wynn graduated and was drafted in the first round by New England, Thomas moved to left tackle and Wilson took over at right tackle as a redshirt freshman, where he dominated in the run game. Wilson started in all 25 games he played after that, missing three last season with an ankle injury.
Wilson's run-blocking skills should fit well with the Titans. They feature running back Derrick Henry, the league's leading rusher last year.
"He's a big man and he's a tough guy to get out of the way of," Titans general manager Jon Robinson said. "He has excellent power to move the line of scrimmage in the run game and he is tough to get around in the pass game. … He'll compete at right tackle, we'll plug him in there, and him and Dennis (Kelly) will battle that out. He has some things he has to work on, but we really, really like the upside of this guy."
The first round ended Thursday night without any other Georgia players being selected. Many draft experts projected running back D'Andre Swift as a mid-first rounder. But the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs selected LSU's Clyde Edwards-Helaire with the final pick of the opening round, making him the only running back to go in the opening 32 picks.
