Following his solid NFL scouting combine performance, former Georgia linebacker Lorenzo Carter has moved into the first round of ESPN analyst Todd McShay's latest mock draft.

Carter is now projected to be the 31st pick overall by the New England Patriots, according to McShay. Prior mock drafts, have predicted Carter going anywhere from the second round to the fifth round.

The Norcross native’s 4.5-second 40-yard dash was the second-best time among edge rushers, while his 36-inch vertical jump ranked third. He also set a combine record for edge rushers in the broad jump as he leaped 10 feet, 10 inches.

“Carter is a versatile linebacker at 6-5, 250 with 34-inch arms -- he can play standing up and even some right defensive end in a 4-3,” McShay wrote. “He plays his tail off on tape, and the Patriots could use his pass-rushing production.”

Fellow linebacker Roquan Smith was the only other former Bulldog projected by McShay to be selected in the first round. Smith is slated at 10th overall to the Oakland Raiders.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Kirby Smart (left) and Georgia beat Brent Key and Georgia Tech 44-42 in eight overtimes last November in Athens. The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets bring Clean Old-Fashioned Hate off campus for 2025, playing at 3:30 p.m. Friday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2024)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Featured

Carleigh Knight (left) and her sister, Natalie Rogovin, look at Christmas ornaments while shopping at Kudzu Antiques + Modern in Decatur on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller