On Monday night, the college football season will come to a close with the Georgia Bulldogs playing the TCU Horned Frogs for the CFP National Championship. While the players will be focused on winning a title, for a number of players there is a potential secondary benefit as they can help their stock in the NFL Draft in a few months.
For the Bulldogs, this is not uncharted territory as they were in this exact spot last year and would end up beating Alabama 33-18 to win their first national championship under Kirby Smart. While watching this game on Monday night, there are six players to watch closely who likely will play their next football game on Sundays in the NFL.
2023 NFL Draft: 6 Georgia Bulldogs to watch in National Championship
Jalen Carter, DT
It almost certainly is going to be Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud who hear their names called first in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, defensive tackle Jalen Carter shouldn’t have to wait much longer after that to find out which NFL team he will begin his career with.
Carter is the best player at his position and arguably one of the best prospects in this year’s draft class. At 6’3″ and 310 pounds, he is a destructive force in the interior of this defensive line and will make any NFL defense significantly better from Day 1.
In the game against Ohio State, he was on the field for the majority of the game but had only one tackle. While the stats don’t tell the whole story, he will almost certainly be looking to make more of an impact against TCU to strengthen that case of being the best player in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Kelee Ringo, CB
Another player who is expected to be a top prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft and will be looking for a better performance in the National Championship Game is cornerback Kelee Ringo. In the game against Ohio State, Ringo was asked to cover Marvin Harrison Jr. for most of the game and Harrison won that battle pretty easily.
The Buckeyes’ wide receiver finished the game with five receptions, 106 receiving yards, and two touchdowns in just about three quarters before leaving with an injury.
The Bulldogs’ cornerback assignment doesn’t get any easier against TCU as he will likely be matched up against Quentin Johnston, who had six receptions, 163 receiving yards, and one touchdown against Michigan.
Ringo certainly has the physical abilities to match up with Johnston at 6’2″ and 210 pounds and enough speed to at least stay with Johnston. If he has a good game on Monday night, he should give himself a great chance to go in the top half of the first round in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Broderick Jones, LT
Another Georgia Bulldog who has a great chance of going in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft is left tackle Broderick Jones.
He has been a steady presence blocking the blindside of Stetson Bennett and considered that strong performance in the Peach Bowl against Ohio State. According to Pro Football Focus, Jones had 40 pass blocking snaps but allowed only one pressure.
This game should be a big test for Jones as he will likely see a lot of defensive end Dylan Horton, who is one of the top players on this TCU defense. In their last game against Michigan, Horton had four sacks after registering two sacks in the Big 12 Championship against Kansas State.
When scouts and evaluators are going back and looking at film, this game will be one that probably focuses on for Broderick Jones when considering who he will be playing against.
Darnell Washington, TE
One player who didn’t get to play much against Ohio State was tight end Darnell Washington. The reason being he suffered an injury and was forced to leave early.
That injury is something that has his availability in doubt for the game against TCU. According to ESPN’s Marty Smith, Kirby Smart described it as a “soft tissue contusion and strain” and the hope is that he will be available to play.
In this year’s draft class, Darnell Washington is one of the more unique prospects because of what he brings to an offense at the tight end position. He is a big tight end at 6’7″ and 265 pounds which essentially makes him another offensive lineman on running plays but has the athletic ability to be a threat in the passing game.
Washington this season has 27 receptions, 426 receiving yards, and two touchdowns with an impressive career average of 17 yards per reception. If he is able to play, and the injury doesn’t impact him too much, he should help his draft stock heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.
Kenny McIntosh, RB
Over the years, the Georgia Bulldogs have been known for their running backs and Kenny McIntosh joins another long list of talented players at the position. This season, McIntosh has 779 rushing yards with an average of 5.5 yards per carry and 10 rushing touchdowns. He also has been a threat in the passing game with 42 receptions, 505 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns.
In the game against Ohio State, McIntosh made an impact more as a receiver with five receptions, 56 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown but did have 70 rushing yards on only 5 carries. His numbers would have been even better if he hadn’t tripped on a long run that almost certainly would have been a touchdown.
Kenny McIntosh is a player that has the potential to be a three down running back with his power and speed combined with his ability as a runner and a receiver out of the backfield. If the Bulldogs win this game, it is almost certain that McIntosh will be a key factor in that outcome.
Stetson Bennett, QB
Prior to this season, it seemed unlikely that Stetson Bennett was going to be discussed much as an NFL prospect. However, that has seemingly changed this season with the way he has played with over 3,200 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, and only six interceptions.
He has gone on to be a Heisman Trophy finalist and he has seemingly had some of his best performances in the biggest games of the season. In the SEC Championship Game, he would throw for 274 passing yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, and then against Ohio State had 368 passing yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
While Bennett has played well this season, he probably still remains a Day 3 prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, if he can win another National Championship and have a big performance in the biggest game of the season he should feel confident that he will hear his name called before the end of the NFL Draft.