Despite being advised to return to Georgia, former Georgia tight end Isaac Nauta entered the draft anyway.

Nauta did not receive a first- or second-round draft grade by the NFL’s draft advisory board, but he left school a year early to enter the draft.

“For me, I felt I’d played enough football games,” Nauta said Friday at the NFL scouting combine.. “Put up enough good tape. Physically and mentally, I was ready for the next step. Obviously, those evaluations are pre-combine before they get to know you as a person. There are lot of factors that go into where you can rise with that draft status. It was something that I felt I was ready to do, so I just went ahead and made that decisions.”

He made up his made early.

“About halfway through the season,” Nauta said about when he made up his mind to enter the draft.

Nauta was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs. He finished his career with 68 catches for 902 yards and eight touchdowns.

Some believe that he was under-utilized as a receiver at Georgia.

He caught 29 passes as a freshman, but only nine his sophomore season.

He was considered the top tight end prospect in the country coming out of Florida's IMG Academy, where he transferred for his senior year after winning three state titles at Buford High.