Georgia Bulldogs

Editor’s note: Each day between now and Georgia’s Capital One Bowl date with Nebraska, we will review the season for a key Bulldogs player and attempt to project what’s next. Today we’ll look at defensive end Garrison Smith.

No. 56 Garrison Smith
Junior/Defensive end
55 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack

Role in 2012: Smith joined the starting lineup when an injury knocked Abry Jones from the lineup for the rest of the regular season and the junior wound up leading the defensive linemen in tackles.

The good: Smith built off a strong effort last season against Georgia Tech, when he came off the bench after DeAngelo Tyson was injured and played well in his first extensive playing time, by developing into one of Georgia’s top defensive linemen in 2012. Jones played a similar role last season, rarely racking up huge tackle or sack totals, but holding the point so teammates could make plays, which is essential to the defense’s success.

The bad: It would be interesting to see what kind of numbers Smith could have accumulated in a full season as a starter. The situation is understandable -- Georgia had experienced seniors across the board on the defensive line, and Jones was a preseason All-SEC pick -- but Smith fared well as both a reserve and in his seven starts.

Crystal ball: Smith recently said that he plans to return for his senior season, so he should be one of the known quantities within a group that must replace a ton of experience. If he and fellow junior Kwame Geathers return next season, the Bulldogs will be in great shape up front. But either way, Smith will probably be on some preseason all-conference lists and projects as a strong performer in 2013.

ATHENS, Ga. -- Shawn Williams didn’t mince words when he met with reporters after Georgia’s Monday evening practice. The senior safety thinks his fellow defensive players aren’t playing with any toughness -- and he’s had enough of it.

“I’m trying to see if I have to just take somebody’s helmet off and slap them and say, ‘What’s going on?’ We’re not playing with any emotion right now, period,” Williams said.

Frustrated by yet another flat performance in the Bulldogs’ 29-24 win against Kentucky last Saturday, Williams said Georgia’s defense is “soft” after ranking among the nation’s top units a season ago.

The Bulldogs lost only two starters from that group, cornerback Brandon Boykin and defensive end DeAngelo Tyson, so this season’s defense carried sky-high expectations into the fall. But the group that started the season without four suspended starters -- All-America safety Bacarri Rambo, cornerback Sanders Commings and linebackers Alec Ogletree and Chase Vasser -- struggled from the outset and Williams thinks their collective effort level has actually decreased.

He used the opening drive against a Kentucky as an example, when the Wildcats immediately drove 84 yards for a touchdown after going 20 games without a first-quarter offensive touchdown.

“In the Kentucky game after the first series, I told them we played soft. They got the ball at the 20 and ran 80 yards right up the middle and I told them when I came on the sideline, I said, ‘Y’all are playing soft as … heck.’ ”

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DeAngelo Tyson became the seventh Georgia player to be picked in the NFL draft Saturday when the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the seventh round, 236th overall.

Tyson played defensive tackle early in his career when Georgia ran a 4-3 base defense, then occupied the nose guard spot out of necessity when the Bulldogs shifted to a 3-4 after defensive coordinator Todd Grantham joined the coaching staff in 2010. Tyson played his third position in three years in 2011 when he moved to defensive end, showing the ability to contribute in a variety of roles.

He started 11 games last fall, missing the Coastal Carolina game and the season-ending games against LSU and Michigan State after suffering an ankle injury early in the regular-season finale against Georgia Tech. He finished the season with 20 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, and was fourth on the team with 11 quarterback pressures.

Tyson is the seventh Georgia player selected and fifth on Saturday. Offensive lineman Cordy Glenn went in Friday’s second round to Buffalo, making him the only ex-Bulldog picked on the draft’s first two days. Center Ben Jones (fourth round to Houston), tight end Orson Charles (fourth round to Cincinnati), cornerback Brandon Boykin (fourth round to Philadelphia) and offensive lineman Justin Anderston (seventh round to Indianapolis) were also picked Saturday.

Georgia’s program record for players selected in one draft is eight, set in 2002.

Watch Saturday's Rounds 4-7 live on WatchESPN.com.

Day 2 of the NFL draft has come and gone with only one Georgia player -- offensive lineman Cordy Glenn -- being picked.

Projected by many draft experts as a first-round pick, Glenn slipped to the second round, where the Buffalo Bills grabbed him with the 41st pick. Former Bulldogs Brandon Boykin and Orson Charles both had hopes of landing in the second or third rounds, but neither player made it off the board by the end of the night.

Rounds 4-7 will begin Saturday at noon ET on ESPN, with Boykin, Charles and several other ex-Bulldogs hoping to hear their names called on the draft’s final day.

Center Ben Jones, punter Drew Butler, defensive tackle DeAngelo Tyson and kicker Blair Walsh are also among the potential ex-Bulldog draft picks. Several more should have the opportunity to sign deals with NFL clubs as undrafted free agents.

With an hour to go until the NFL draft begins, Georgia figures to have only one player hear his name called tonight during the first round.

Almost every top draft analyst has former Bulldogs offensive lineman Cordy Glenn going in the first round, typically somewhere in the mid to late first round.

However, Georgia figures to have several more players drafted between the second and seventh rounds on Friday and Saturday -- with cornerback Brandon Boykin, tight end Orson Charles and center Ben Jones figuring to be the next Bulldogs off the board.

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Scouts Inc. breaks down the 2012 class in each position group, including the top prospects in each of the position-specific categories Scouts uses in evaluations, along with a listing of all draft-ready prospects, four-year combine averages, picks in Rounds 1-2, and three-year market trends for each position.

Offense
Quarterback
Running back
Wide receiver
Tight end
Offensive lineman

Defense
Defensive lineman
Linebacker
Defensive back

Just got home from watching the extremely windy UGA pro day workouts. Will work up a couple stories in a bit, but here are a few quick thoughts.

* In all, there were 46 scouts in attendance, representing 30 different NFL teams. The Cowboys and Bears were the only teams who were not represented.

* Brandon Boykin said he is still working back toward 100 percent after breaking a bone in his leg while covering a punt at the Senior Bowl. He said he's at about 85 percent and will hold an individual pro day workout on campus in early April. He did participate in the bench press and completed 16 reps, which is better than the average for cornerbacks -- particularly one who played at about 180 pounds.

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