Former Georgia Tech defensive tackle Adam Gotsis made a small piece of history Friday night, becoming the third Australian-born player to be selected in the NFL draft. Gotsis was taken by the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos with the final pick of the second round, the 63rd overall selection.
Denver selected Gotsis despite the fact that he is recovering from an ACL tear suffered in October. The combination of his productivity while at Tech, where he made All-ACC as a junior and started 37 games in his career, and his potential was evidently too much to pass up. Having played football at a fairly rudimentary level in Australia before coming to Tech in 2012, Gotsis is thought to have considerable room to develop.
Gotsis is the 17th Tech player coached by Paul Johnson to be drafted. He’s the ninth who came to Tech after Johnson’s hire after the 2007 season.
He was the first Tech player to be taken in the draft, with cornerback D.J. White and safety Jamal Golden also looming as possible selections.
About six months into his rehabilitation, Gotsis will continue the process in Denver. It’s conceivable that he could be cleared to play during the regular season. It’s not a concern of his right now. Going to a team with such a stocked defense could make a 2016 return less urgent.
“I think when I get to 100 percent, then it’ll be a decision, like, Yeah, I can play this year,” he said earlier this week. “But at the moment, I’ve just got to get back to 100percent. That’s my biggest concern.”
Denver had Gotsis targeted. The Broncos were one of the teams to have an interview with him when he attended the NFL combine in Indianapolis in February. He was taken off the board well ahead of draft experts who projected him to be selected in the fourth round or later, but not his agent Pat Dye, who thought his window would open at the end of the second round.
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