The 2021 wide receiver room was highly talented but, for the most part, didnt get the opportunity to demonstrate just how good due to being decimated by injures. The Hoover, Alabama native was at one point foreseen to be a future first-round pick in the NFL, but since his injury, his draft stock has dropped off a bit as he now sits as a projected day two pick. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. The experience of playing nine games in his first year on campus will stand him in good stead for the rest of his Georgia football career. Which teams have been recruiting the best on offense? For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. Georgia may have lost some talent at this position, but those things happen. Starting quarterback Stetson Bennett will once again have a group of fast, powerful, hungry and talented wide receivers that will make his job just a little easier. Burton was second on the team in receiving yards with 497 and tied for second on the team in receiving touchdowns with five. Former Georgia wide receiver Jermaine Burton announced on Sunday that he will transfer to Alabama. What's next in conference realignment for ACC and Pac-12? 
With Brock Bowers exploding onto the scene last year and the impact he made at tight end, the lack of depth at wide receiver wasnt as noticeable because Georgia won the national championship without some of its best players. The 2022 Georgia football wide receiver unit might be one of college footballs most talented wide receiver groups. While his draft stock may have taken a hit over the past year, there is no doubt that he will make an NFL team very happy when his name is called during the 2022 NFL draft. Lets not forget about Jackson Meeks, who saw time on the field as a reserve wide receiver and special teams as a freshman. 99 recruit in the 2020 class out of Calabasas High School in California, and chose Georgia over offers from LSU, Alabama, Arizona State, Oregon and others. Its a little early to predict who will start at wide receiver against Oregon as much will happen before then but I expect its a mix of the old and the new. The Dawgs just beat the Crimson Tide in the national championship game, but Burton is switching sides after entering the transfer portal on Wednesday. Of course, in 2022, the phrase every freshman wants to avoid is that sophomore slump tag. Burton was the No. McConkey and Mitchell played in all 15 games last season, with 60 receptions between them for 873 yards and nine touchdowns. Arian Smith has the speed to worry any SEC defense but again struggled with injuries. Pickens turned in a 4.40 unofficially. He may not be the most polished route runner, but he certainly makes up for it in a lot of other areas in his game. Sophomores Ladd McConkey and Adonai Mitchell are a year wiser. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Now, he's in Indianapolis to compete with the nation's best at the 2022 NFL Combine. NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 25: Ladd McConkey #84 of the Georgia Bulldogs runs with the ball for a touchdown against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first quarter at Vanderbilt Stadium on September 25, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. Former Georgia Football wide receiver George Pickens has run his forty yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine. While possible, Mitchell and McConkey showed more than enough to suggest that the Bulldog fans dont have to worry about it with this duo. Per 247Sports,Smith has broken 10.3 secs over 100m and 21.0 over 200m which sets him out as one of the fastest in the 2022 class. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onGeorgia Bulldogs and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. (0:53). The new signees also give hope that the future at wide receiver is bright. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Which is quite a statement after losing George Pickens to the NFL and Jermaine Burton leaving to continue his college career in Tuscaloosa. While his final season at Georgia didn't go as planned after Pickens went down in Spring of 2021 with an ACL tear, he is still one of the best wide receiver prospects in this year's draft class. Four-star Chandler Smith was the first of the new signees to commit.
This speed will make Smith an exciting prospect for Bulldog fans to watch this season. Given the part they played in the championship run, Bowers, McConkey and Mitchell will likely get featured heavily. The good thing here is this group is young and already experienced. The key to success will be to keep the experienced core fit and ensure the national championship stars McConkey and Mitchell dont hit the sophomore slump. Rather than be concerned about the replacement of Pickens and Burton, Georgia fans should be excited about this wide receiver group. Smith is an absolute speed merchant. His best season surprisingly came during his freshman campaign where had a career-high in both yards and touchdown receptions. At 6-1 and 180-pounds, Smith wont stand out from the crowd until he turns his jets on and zooms past them. Georgia has 12 receivers and five tight ends on scholarship ready to compete for the Dawgs. Both Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and Dominick Blaylock missed spring practice due to nasty injuries. A player like Pickens will always have a role in the NFL, especially with how pass-heavy teams have become in the league. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. 2022 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Stetson Bennett IV places a perfect ball to Jermaine Burton to give the Bulldogs a commanding 27-3 lead. DeNylon Morrissette, also a 4-star, sets himself apart from the rest of the 2022 class with his size as he is 6-1 and 200-pounds. Georgia football fans should be excited for the new class of wide receivers head coach Kirby Smart and his coaching staff signed this year. It is now just a matter of putting on a solid performance at the NFL combine to validate himself as a top prospect at the position. He is one of eight players to transfer out of Georgia in January, along with quarterback JT Daniels, who also entered the transfer portal on Wednesday but has yet to decide on a destination. Georgia is not known for consistently producing elite prospects at the wide receiver position, but Pickens certainly fits that role. Georgia Bulldogs news fromFanSided Daily, Georgia football: 3 important 5-stars to land in 2023 class, Georgia football: Richard Seymour, a DGD and now Hall of Famer, 30 Greatest Players from the Mark Richt Era, Georgia has 12 receivers and five tight ends, 10 Twitter Accounts You Need to Follow During Super Bowl LVI, Georgia football: 3 proven players that will impress at the Combine, Georgia football: A quick look at the 2022 quarterback room. George Pickens is by far one of the most talented wide receivers to ever come through Georgia's football program, and probably the most gifted since the AJ Green era in Athens. That feat makes the rise of McConkey and Mitchell that much more impressive. That includes his catch in the National Championship game against Alabama where he displayed his elite catch radius and pulled in in a 52-yard reception. SEC East preview: Can Georgia avoid a hangover? (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images). Fisher: 'No ill will' toward Saban after earlier feud, Former South Carolina QB Petty dies at age 43, Dawgs, Smart reach new 10-year, $112.5M deal, Harsin says Auburn probe a personal attack, Cristobal says Hurricanes to retire 'turnover chain', Calif. governor asks UCLA to explain Pac-12 exit, Transfer portal windows await final OK from NCAA, 'Nobody's expectation can exceed my own': Brent Venables takes on the Oklahoma job at full speed, College football futures: Betting tips for Weeks 0 and 1, College football futures: Betting tips for 2022 conference title odds, Who are the strongest and fastest true freshmen? Dillon Bell signed with the Dawgs during the February signing period. There is still a chance for Pickens to make some of that money back though. Superlatives for 2022 recruits, 'With distance comes clarity': Bronco Mendenhall's time away from football, and what comes next, Alabama (as usual) team to beat, but potential runs deep in SEC West.
He accumulated impressive stats in his junior year of high school 19.6 yards per catch, with 59 catches for 1,159 yards 11 touchdowns. If your crystal ball predicted the seasons that Ladd McConkey and Adonai Mitchell had in their first years in Athens, I suggest you start predicting the lotto numbers. Pickens concluded his college career with 1347 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in 24 games played.
Pickens ran a 4.43 in his first run. Due to his injury, Pickens was only able to appear in 4 games during his junior season, but even in those few games he still showed his injury was just a minor setback. With new signees who are fast and powerful and the old guard fit and healthy, Smart, offensive coordinator Todd Monken and new wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon do have an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver. With only nine catches between Rosemy-Jacksaint and Blaylock in 2021, it is clear how much Georgia missed having them during the season. The Dawgs signed a talented bunch of new signees, and fingers crossed a healthy group in 2022 the Georgia Bulldogs are looking good at the wideout position. One of the best parts is there are only a couple of seniors in the entire group. At the end of the season, he reeled in five receptions for 107 yards which is an average of 21.4 yards per reception. Those losses sting because they were highly talented, but Georgia fans should remember it was not detrimental to the team. Bennett drops a perfect pass to Burton for the 57-yard TD (0:53), Ex-Georgia WR Burton transferring to Alabama, How transfers impacted the 2021 season and what to expect in 2022. Follow the grant of rights, NFL scouts pick sleepers to watch for the 2023 draft: QBs who could rise and names to know, Ranking the 40 most impactful transfers over the past five years, Recruiting notebook: Inside Miami's surge, future commitments and more, Football recruiting class rankings: Oregon, LSU catapult to top 10 while Alabama, USC fall, 45 minority coaches under 45 to watch for future Division I head-coaching jobs, Secret meetings and survival mode: Inside the stunning USC-UCLA move and the chaos it caused, Bennett returning to Georgia; Daniels to transfer, Transfer portal tracker: Breaking down options for top players. Cornerback Ameer Speed is transferring to Michigan State, corner Jalen Kimber is headed to Florida, Lovasea Carroll transferred to South Carolina, Latavious Brini to Arkansas, receiver Justin Robinson to Mississippi State and Jaylen Johnson to East Carolina. Scouting reports consider Morrissettes size mature for his age, and at this stage, with continued elite coaching, he is considered an NFL prospect. Spring practice will be here before you know it, so to prepare for it, lets deep dive into each position and discuss what the Dawgs have for 2022. Cole Speercame to Georgia as a 3-star in-state recruit out of Calhoun, Ga. He is tall and lanky with good ball skills and strong hands that allow him to create a high win percentage on contested throws. They are an impressive pairing of wide receivers. Plus, the rumors are he is back enrolled in classes on campus and practicing in winter workouts. Despite losing Burton and running back James Cook, who declared for the NFL draft, the Georgia staff will return four of the top six players in receiving yards, including freshman tight end Brock Bowers, who led the team with 882 yards and 13 touchdowns. However, Gilbert did not feature for the Bulldogs in 2021. KearisJackson underwent knee surgery, only completing 16 receptions for 194 yards another blow for the wide receiver group. The surprise package in this group is Arik Gilbert, who transferred from LSU initially to Florida but subsequently to Georgia. It was positive to see Gilbert celebrate the national championship with his teammates making Dawgs fans optimistic that he will be available this season.
These results were no one-sided pairing as they would almost spookily contribute equally to these stats in the Bulldogs national championship-winning season. The battle for starting roles over spring and fall camps should be fascinating to watch. Pickens possesses a wide variety of skills as a wide receiver and his college game film is littered with flash plays. At 6-2 and 205-pounds, Bell is another player who excels after the catch, which should get Georgia fans on their feet this season.