Most of state’s 23 NFL draft picks weren’t elite prospects

The 23 former Georgia high school players taken in the NFL draft proved again that it’s where one finishes that counts.

While the NFL drafts 257 players, only six of Georgia’s 23 were rated that highly as high school players. The 23 had a median national prospect ranking of No. 669 entering college.

In fact, four of the 23 got no ratings in the 247Sports Composite, the most commonly sited source for consensus player evaluations.

One unrated player was former Walker offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad, a fifth-round pick of the Chiefs. Nourzad was a first-team all-state player in 2017, but he was what coaches refer to as ‘’an academic kid” at his Marietta private high school. Nourzad played in the Ivy League at Cornell, graduated with an engineering degree, then played his final two seasons at Penn State, where he earned Big Ten honors.

The most unlikely NFL draft pick from Georgia was Qwan’tez Stiggs, who played on a 27-player high school team at Atlanta’s B.E.S.T. Academy. Unrated as a prospect, Stiggers dropped out of Tennessee’s Lane College as a 2020 freshman without playing a game. On his mother’s advice, he joined an indoor football league, then became the Canadian Football League’s rookie of the year in 2023 as a cornerback. The Jets drafted him in the fifth round.

Offensive linemen Travis Glover of Dooly County and Tylan Grable of Wilkinson County were overlooked while playing for Class A programs in south Georgia. Each unrated prospect went in the sixth round, Grable to the Bills and Glover to the Packers.

The rest of Georgia’s 23 were rated three-star recruits or higher, but North Murray’s Ladd McConkey, Troup’s Jamari Thrash and Lovejoy’s Bub Means — all wide receivers — were pegged outside the top 1,000 nationally coming out of high school.

Georgia’s best high school prospect drafted was Bleckley County tackle Amarius Mims, the lone five-star. The Bengals took Mims with the No. 18 overall pick after his three seasons at Georgia. Mims was an AJC preseason Super 11 choice in 2020. No other former Super 11 players were drafted.

Two other five-star prospects and Super 11 players who would be eligible — Cedar Grove’s Jadon Haselwood and Marietta’s Arik Gilbert — have never been drafted. Each was an AJC all-classification player of the year after leading their high school teams to state championships.

Gilbert’s Marietta teammate, running back Kimani Vidal, was the No. 949 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class and was drafted in the sixth round by the Chargers. Vidal, measured at 5 feet, 7 7/8 inches at the NFL Combine, was overshadowed on a great Marietta high school team despite rushing for more than 1,500 yards. He rushed for 1,661 yards last season at Troy.

Georgia’s two second-round picks were just three-star recruits out of high schools. Both were safeties. Baldwin’s Javon Bullard went to the Packers, and Starr’s Mill’s Cole Bishop went to the Bills.

The final Georgia player taken Saturday was Michigan linebacker Michael Barrett of Lowndes. Barrett was a three-star prospect and a decorated high school player — but as a quarterback with more than 4,500 yards passing and 2,500 rushing. The Panthers drafted him No. 240 overall after he won a national championship as Michigan’s defensive captain.

Georgia’s 23 picks are roughly the average number for the past decade. The record is 30, set in 2022. Georgia ranked third among states this year in total picks this year behind Florida (30) and Texas (24), according to High School Football America.

Below are the 23 picks. NR = the players national ranking as a player on the 247Composite coming out of high school.

R1 #18 ... OT ... Amarius Mims ... Bleckley County ... Georgia ... Bengals ... 5-star ...  ... NR: 8

R1 #30 ... CB ... Nate Wiggins ... Westlake ... Clemson ... Ravens ... 4-star ...  ... NR: 118

R2 #34 ... WR ... Ladd McConkey ... North Murray ... Georgia ... Chargers ... 3-star ...  ... NR: 1131

R2 #58 ... S ... Javon Bullard ... Baldwin ... Georgia ... Packers ... 3-star ...  ... NR: 634

R2 #60 ... S ... Cole Bishop ... Starr’s Mill ... Utah ... Bills ... 3-star ...  ... NR: 669

R3 #72 ... LB ... Trevin Wallace ... Wayne County ... Kentucky ... Panthers ... 4-star ...  ... NR: 141

R3 #91 ... LB ... Ty’Ron Hopper ... Roswell ... Missouri ... Packers ... 4-star ...  ... NR: 88

R4 #105 ... DT ... Justin Eboigbe ... Forest Park ... Alabama ... Chargers ... 4-star ...  ... NR: 62

R4 #110 ... WR ... Javon Baker ... McEachern ... Central Florida ... Patriots ... 4-star ...  ... NR: 203

R5 #143 ... LB ... J.D. Bertrand ... Blessed Trinity ... Notre Dame ... Falcons ... 4-star ...  ... NR: 358

R5 #156 ... WR ... Jamari Thrash ... Troup ... Louisville ... Browns ... 3-star ...  ... NR: 1679

R5 #159 ... OL ... Hunter Nourzad ... Walker ... Penn State ... Chiefs ... NR-star ...  ... NR: Not rated

R5 #164 ... S ... Jaylin Simpson ... Frederica Academy ... Auburn ... Colts ... 4-star ...  ... NR: 322

R5 #170 ... WR ... Bub Means ... Lovejoy ... Pittsburgh ... Saints ... 3-star ...  ... NR: 1887

R5 #176 ... CB ... Qwan'tez Stiggers ... B.E.S.T. Academy ... Lane ... Jets ... NR-star ...  ... NR: Not rated

R6 #181 ... RB ... Kimani Vidal ... Marietta ... Troy ... Chargers ... 3-star ...  ... NR: 949

R6 #184 ... WR ... Malik Washington ... Parkview ... Virginia ... Dolphins ... 3-star ...  ... NR: 837

R6 #188 ... LB/S ... Jamal Hill ... Morrow ... Oregon ... Texans ... 3-star ...  ... NR: 572

R6 #190 ... C ... Dylan McMahon ... Savannah Christian ... N.C. State ... Eagles ... 3-star ...  ... NR: 780

R6 #202 ... OT ... Travis Glover ... Dooly County ... Georgia State ... Packers ... NR-star ...  ... NR: Not rated

R6 #204 ... OT ... Tylan Grable ... Wilkinson County ... Central Florida ... Bills ... NR-star ...  ... NR: Not rated

R7 #231 ... TE ... Jaheim Bell ... Valdosta ... Florida State ... Patriots ... 4-star ...  ... NR: 384

R7 #240 ... LB ... Michael Barrett ... Lowndes ... Michigan ... Panthers ... 3-star ...  ... NR: 751