- An NFL Draft record of five defensive players from the Georgia Bulldogs were picked in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft last Thursday.
- The Minnesota Viking cashed the OVER 4.5 on the Bulldogs’ total number of first round picks.
- Georgia had the best defense in the nation last season, leading college football in points and touchdowns allowed.
Defense was the name of the game in the 2022 NFL Draft as the top five overall picks were defensive players, marking the first time that has happened since 1991.
Meanwhile, the 2022 National champions Georgia Bulldogs’ defense broke an NFL record with five players picked in the first round of the draft. Before Thursday’s Draft, Miami in 2004 and Florida State in 2006 owned the record with four defensive players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Over/Under Line was Set at 4.5
The historic over/under on Georgia players taken in the 1st RD (4.5) was hit last night as 5 Bulldogs were taken — even with Nakobe Dean falling out.
The Over at @CaesarsSports had 89% of tickets and 83% of dollars.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) April 29, 2022
Before Thursday’s Draft, the top NFL betting sites set Georgia’s over/under players taken in the opening round at 4.5. Bettors who wagered on the over must’ve been sweating when their bet came down to the Minnesota Vikings who picked last in the opening round. The Vikings went on to select Georgia safety Lewis Cine with the 32nd pick of the draft, the last in the first round, to cash the over on the prop bet.
Earlier, the Jacksonville Jaguars made Georgia outside linebacker Travon Walker the no.1 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. At 270 pounds, Walker ran the 40-yard dash at 4.51 seconds, faster than most of the wide receivers and running backs who were clocked in the Draft Combine in Indianapolis. Walker wasn’t among the names on the opening odds boards when the Draft Odds opened last year but steadily climbed the top of the ladder before becoming the consensus favorite on Draft Week.
The next Bulldog taken in the first round was defensive tackle Jordan Davis at no. 13 by the Philadelphia Eagles. Davis was the Outland Trophy winner as the best inside defensive lineman in college football last season. Linebacker Quay Walker was then drafted by the Green Bay Packers at no. 22. Six picks later, the Packers called out another Georgia defensive player in defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt before the Vikings won the bet by picking Cine.
Defense Anchored the Bulldogs’ National Title Run
For the entire season, Georgia’s defense has anchored the Bulldogs’ hopes of a national title run. As the country’s top-ranked defense, players and coaches alike have submitted to lofty standards and that standard is as firm as ever. https://t.co/763cUcjF3u
— The Red & Black (@redandblack) November 18, 2021
Georgia had the best defense in the nation this past season, leading college football in scoring defense at only 10.2 points per game allowed while also surrendering the fewest touchdowns in the nation with only 16. In the national championship game, Georgia’s defense sacked Alabama QB Bryce Young 4 times en route to winning their first championship since 1980.
Davis and Wyatt were the stars of that defensive unit and they were projected to go higher than Travon Walker in the very early Mock Drafts. Although he was still considered a mid to late first round pick, Walker changed the narrative with a pair of impressive showings at the NFL Combine and Georgia’s Pro Day. Aside from his 4.51 40-yard dash, Walker also registered a 35-inch vertical leap and a 6.89 time at the 3-cone to steal the show in the two events.
Walker thus became the first Bulldog to be picked first overall since Matthew Stafford in 2009. He is also the highest-drafted defensive lineman since Jonathan Sullivan was picked 6th overall by the Saints in 2003 and the first Georgia defensive lineman selected in the NFL Draft since 2013.
