Always dance with the ones that brung ya. It may pain Florida alum like no other, but there is a reason Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman keeps drafting Georgia players on defense. He understands fully Kirby Smart develops his players in Athens and has them ready to compete at the next level right away. This draft approach by Roseman helped Philadelphia win another Super Bowl.
In recent years, Roseman has drafted the following players from my alma mater: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Kelee Ringo and Nolan Smith. I am sure I am forgetting someone, but that is not the point. While we cannot pinpoint precisely which former Georgia star stirs the drink the most in Philadelphia, collectively they are doing a very good job of it. If only my Atlanta Falcons had a clue...
It just so happens that in Daniel Jeremiah's latest NFL mock draft that he has Philadelphia picking at No. 32 ending up with Georgia safety Malaki Starks. First off, how does Starks even fall that far, other than the position he plays? Second, why did so many people pass on him? It should be noted he does have Atlanta taking Starks' Georgia teammate Mykel Williams coming off the edge at No. 15 overall.
Edge rusher Jalon Walker going to Carolina at No. 8 gives us three Georgia players inside the top 32.
Philadelphia Eagles simply need more Dawgs in latest NFL mock draft
I may be biased, as Georgia and the Falcons are two of the teams I actively root for. However, I think it serves teams like the Eagles to continually take chances on players who starred at traditional powers that are thriving in college football today. Every case is different, but players who made impact at a high level at a college football power are more inclined to do that at the NFL than guys at other teams.
Where I think Philadelphia has an advantage here is two-pronged. The first is Roseman probably leans toward SEC guys in terms of scouting because he went to a traditional power at Florida. It is not always the case, but he may be more receptive to the players in that region of the country than other general managers. Atlanta once employed a general manager who played college football in Canada.
The other is Philadelphia being a regular playoff threat. My thought is good college players tend to play better at well-run operations in the NFL. Simply put, they are not asked to do as much as if they went from the penthouse to the Dawghouse (pun intended...). I think being passed over by a slew of teams who could have taken you probably adds fuel to the fire of an otherwise blue-chip prospect.
Again, this is not one for one. Every case is different. Eventually, Roseman's leaning towards Georgia players could come back to haunt. In time, the college football world may change. Give it a year or two, but we may see teams have great success drafting Ohio State players like the New Orleans Saints once did. What you have to remember is the college game is always changing, so be aware.
For now, I am struggling to see 31 players who are better than Starks entering the 2025 NFL Draft...