Kirby Smart optimistic for Georgia players who missed out with no pro day
Despite not yet forcing the cancellation of any games, the coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc on the NFL schedule.
The outbreak came right in the middle of the league’s pre-draft evaluation process for the 2020 rookie class. Many teams, including Georgia, were forced to cancel their pro days, leaving NFL organizations scrambling to obtain information on potential draft picks.
On a conference call Tuesday, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart lamented the fact that his players, particularly those who weren’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, missed out on the chance to have a pro day. However, he maintained an optimistic outlook for those Bulldogs.
Smart, who served as safeties coach for the Miami Dolphins in 2006, said NFL teams go to great lengths to find out everything they can about a player before drafting him. Canceled pro days haven’t changed that mindset, as Smart said he communicates with NFL personnel on a near-daily basis.
“I get texts almost every day about our kids and communicate about them,” Smart said. “(NFL organizations are) having to go back to non-traditional forms of communication for them to get accurate information, because they’re used to coming into your building, getting it in your building, getting it through a pro day.”
These events are perhaps the most important for players who didn’t make the trip to the combine. The Bulldogs had a slew of key contributors left off the invite list, including Butkus Award semifinalist Tae Crowder and leading tight end Eli Wolf.
Crowder and Wolf, among others, now have no choice but to rely on their game tape from their college careers if they want to make an NFL roster. The good news, according to Smart, is that most NFL teams use film as their main evaluation tool anyway.
When organizations watch that film, they will see Crowder finishing second on the team with 62 tackles. Wolf will be there making key catches at opportune times. Michael Barnett, Tyler Clark and David Marshall will show up anchoring a stout defensive line.
In a league where much of the depth is comprised of late-round picks and undrafted free agents, that’s plenty of reason for Smart to have a positive attitude.