The SEC Championship Game is always a haven for elite NFL Draft Prospects, and 2023 is no exception.
Georgia has been the best team in the country for the past three seasons, but Alabama looks to end Georgia’s long-standing win streak in the biggest game of the season. But which NFL Draft prospects and, in particular, matchups should we be keeping a close eye on?
SEC Championship Game Prospect Preview
NFL Draft evaluation is a fluid process, and big-time prospect matchups hold a significant amount of weight for many. How a prospect performs against the best competition is critical, and doing it lane in their draft-eligible season is even more important. Just look at how C.J. Stroud performed against Michigan and this Georgia team and compare that to his red-hot start at the NFL level.
Unfortunately, we won’t get many one-on-one prospect showdowns in this game because of how the talent is spread between the two rosters. Alabama EDGE Chris Braswell and Georgia RT Amarius Mims will see each other a lot.
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Unfortunately, Dallas Turner plays almost exclusively on the right side of the defensive line. That doesn’t mean he won’t have a stern test because Earnest Green is the next incredibly talented offensive tackle in the Georgia pipeline, but he’s only a redshirt freshman and, therefore, is not draft-eligible.
We’ll also see Ladd McConkey against the Alabama CB duo. We’ve seen Terrion Arnold slide inside at times depending on the matchup (like against Malik Nabers), and we could see similar movement from him when McConkey is in the slot.
Georgia Bulldogs NFL Draft Prospects
Brock Bowers, TE
Bowers is arguably the best weapon in the NFL Draft. Marvin Harrison Jr. is a better overall prospect because he’s a top-tier playmaker in every facet of WR play, but Bowers is incredibly versatile.
The 6’4″, 240-pound tight end is often used as a runner taking hand-offs from motion. He’s a smooth and explosive athlete who can string footwork together to make defenders miss while also providing high-end physicality after the catch as well.
There is very little that he cannot do. He’s an impressive route runner who can use both athleticism and physicality to separate. The only thing that we could nitpick is that his hands could be more consistent in contested situations.
Amarius Mims, OT
The Georgia right tackle is incredibly talented. Even while missing many games this season, Mims is one of the most highly regarded offensive tackles in the potential 2024 NFL Draft class.
Mims still has a lot to learn, but his unbelievable frame, athleticism, and balance make him an easy candidate for the top 32 consideration. He has a powerful strike, and his grip strength is wonderful.
Despite undergoing tightrope surgery, Mims returned to play at an incredibly high level. In his three games since returning, he’s been nearly perfect in pass protection, but Alabama will be a different caliber of test.
Ladd McConkey, WR
Ladd McConkey’s return to the Georgia Bulldogs offense has been an outstanding addition. The Bulldogs’ main outside target is a legitimate three-level threat.
He possesses outstanding speed, flexibility, and route-running prowess that makes it incredibly difficult to stay within man coverage. McConkey’s experience has also helped him carve out an impressive understanding of uncovering against zone coverage.
Sedrick Van Pran, C
The Georgia center could have battled for the top spot at the position in the 2023 NFL Draft class had he declared. However, he remained in Athens and has played a significant role in their continued winning streak.
Van Pran has enough density and strength to anchor against powerful rushers, but his real strength is in his mobility and understanding of angles when climbing to the second level.
Carson Beck, QB
Carson Beck waited patiently behind Stetson Bennett despite possessing better NFL traits. There’s no denying that Bennett’s athleticism unlocked aspects of the offense that Beck can’t match, even though he’s more than athletic enough to pick up yards on the ground when given an avenue.
His arm is outstanding, and after starting the season playing very inconsistent football, particularly during the first half of games, he’s really settled in and played well despite missing McConkey and Bowers at different times.
But a Nick Saban defense is an entirely different battle.
Other Georgia Bulldogs NFL Draft Prospects
- Kamari Lassiter, CB
- Javon Bullard, CB/S
- Smael Mondon, LB
- Tate Ratledge, OG
- Nazir Stackhouse, DT
- Tykee Smith, S
- Jamon Dumas-Johnson, LB
- Xavier Truss, OG
- Kendall Milton, RB
- RaRa Thomas, WR
Alabama Crimson Tide NFL Draft Prospects
Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB
Kool-Aid McKinstry is one of the most intelligent zone defenders we’ve seen over the past half-decade. It’s one of the reasons why he has been such a highly-regarded NFL Draft prospect. He maintains outstanding positional leverage and has a keen understanding of traditional route combinations, and exactly what to do and who to match in those situations.
But McKinstry also has more than enough fluidity and speed to mirror wide receivers in man coverage. He is a great player, but he still struggles at times to locate the ball along the sideline while carrying receivers.
Dallas Turner, EDGE
Since early in the season, it was clear that Dallas Turner had overtaken Jared Verse as the top pass rusher in the potential NFL Draft class.
Turner still isn’t a finished product. He needs to continue developing his pass rush plan, but every athletic measure of a difference-making outside linebacker is there. He possesses an outstanding first step, quickness, and bend. And he has shown an arsenal of rush moves as a developing player in 2023.
But Turner is also athletic enough to survive in space as a coverage player, along with possessing the ability to peel off of a rush and carry a back on swing and flat routes.
JC Latham, OT
Like Mims, JC Latham is a massive, powerful, and fleet-of-foot right tackle who has been outstanding despite issues across the rest of the offensive line in 2023. He’s a towering, powerful presence with an outstanding presence.
Latham possesses a powerful strike utilizing patient hands in pass protection. He’s fine playing a cat-and-mouse game with pass rushers who have a decent rush plan because he trusts his athleticism, power, and process.
Terrion Arnold, CB
Terrion Arnold is only a redshirt sophomore, but his growth in 2023 has been incredible to watch. A season ago, he was a raw but talented freshman with a lot to learn but a ton of athletic potential.
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Even early in 2023, things looked similar. Texas was a stern test for the young coverage player, and he didn’t necessarily pass the test. But from thereon out, Arnold has been outstanding, including against LSU’s set of impossibly talented receivers.
His basketball background is clear, particularly at the line of scrimmage. He must’ve been an outstanding defender because his patience in press coverage is sublime.
Chris Braswell, EDGE
The Alabama defensive front began the season with one highly regarded draft prospect and finished the season with a second. Braswell doesn’t possess the flexibility, size, or power necessary to be a consistent difference-maker as a pass rusher, but he’s grown significantly in his plan, and his explosiveness will allow him to win intermittently.
Players with Braswell’s intense play style will always find a role at the next level. He plays with his pants on fire but with enough control to stay within his skis.
Other Alabama Crimson Tide NFL Draft Prospects
- Deonte Lawson, LB
- Jermaine Burton, WR
- Justin Eboigbe, DT
- Malachi Moore, S
- Jase McClellan, RB
- Tim Smith, DT
