Five former Georgia high school football players are projected to go in the first round of this week’s NFL draft, according to NFL Mock Draft Database, which compiles consensus rankings from more than 1,000 published mock drafts and big boards. The website has 24 Georgia players ranked among the top 262 players, the number that will be taken in the draft’s seven rounds in Las Vegas.
The five consensus first-rounders are Upson-Lee’s Travon Walker, Marist’s Kyle Hamilton, Roswell’s Malik Willis, Archer’s Andrew Booth and Towers’ Devonte Wyatt.
The five would be the second-most Georgia players taken in the first round. There were six from Georgia in 2021 and five in 2005. The 24 overall would be the third most behind the 30 in 2015 and 29 in 2017.
All five projected first-rounders have at least one mock draft projecting them to go among the first 10 picks, although only Walker and Hamilton are consensus top-10 players.
Walker, a defensive lineman from Georgia, is the consensus No. 5 prospect but projected to go No. 2 in a consensus of mock drafts. Unlike a big board, which ranks the players as prospects, the mock drafts consider draft order and team needs. The Jaguars, who have the No. 1 overall pick, and the Lions, who pick No. 2, each have strong needs for a defensive lineman. Some mock drafts have Walker going No. 1 overall.
Hamilton, a Notre Dame safety, is the consensus No. 7 player, and some mock drafts have him going in the top three. Willis, a quarterback from Liberty, is the consensus No. 12 overall prospect and also has several mock drafts placing him in the top three.
Walker, Hamilton and Willis were high school stars. Walker and Hamilton each made the AJC’s Super 11 and first-team all-state teams. Hamilton was the 2018 Class 4A Defensive Player of the Year. Willis, who signed originally with Auburn before finishing with Liberty, led Roswell to a state runner-up finish in 2016.
Below are the website’s 30 players rated highest on the consensus big boards. The draft will take place over three days beginning Thursday.
Consensus, (Peak), Position, Player, College, (High School)
First round
5 (5) DT Travon Walker, Georgia (Upson-Lee)
7 (2) DB Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame (Marist)
12 (6) QB Malik Willis, Liberty (Roswell)
23 (8) CB Andrew Booth, Clemson (Archer)
25 (10) DT Devonte Wyatt, Georgia (Towers)
Second round
56 (46) LB Quay Walker, Georgia (Crisp County)
Third round
68 (63) OL Dylan Parham, Memphis (Carrollton)
75 (22) DE Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina (Hapeville Charter)
76 (57) OL Jamaree Salyer, Georgia (Pace Academy)
81 (28) DE/LB Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati (Camden County)
98 (90) TE Jelani Woods, Virginia (Cedar Grove)
Fourth round
107 (83) RB Dameon Pierce, Florida (Bainbridge)
110 (109) DE DeAngelo Malone, Western Kentucky (Cedar Grove)
Fifth round
160 (64) OL Lecitus Smith, Virginia Tech (Fitzgerald)
172 (99) OL Justin Shaffer, Georgia (Cedar Grove)
173 (168) TE Chigoziem Okonkwo, Maryland (Hillgrove)
Sixth round
192 (118) DL Christopher Hinton, Michigan (Greater Atlanta Christian)
193 (181) OL Joshua Ezeudu, North Carolina (Archer)
196 (74) S Yusuf Corker, Kentucky (Woodland-Stockbridge)
204 (154) CB Jaylen Watson, Washington State (Laney)
206 (81) S Smoke Monday, Auburn (Carver-Atlanta)
212 (112) RB Tyler Goodson, Iowa (North Gwinnett)
213 (72) LB Zakoby McClain, Auburn (Valdosta)
Seventh round
257 (146) LB Jeremiah Gemmel, North Carolina (East Coweta)
262 (18) LB Adam Anderson, Georgia (Rome)
Others
263 (101) RB Kevin Harris, South Carolina (Bradwell Institute)
269 (246) P Jake Camarda, Georgia (Norcross)
283 (274) TE Connor Heyward, Michigan State (Peachtree Ridge)
300 (199) WR Braylon Sanders, Mississippi (Callaway)
303 (285) LB Baylon Spector, Clemson (Calhoun)
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