The 2021 Georgia football team ranks as one of the most talent-rich programs in history with an NFL-record 15 players selected in the 2022 draft.
And now, with four-year rookie contracts up, the majority of players drafted off Kirby Smart’s first national championship team are getting paid like it.
Indeed, several of the players who represented the red and black are coming into the green of high-dollar contracts, most notably Jordan Davis re-signing with Philadelphia with the richest contract for an NFL nose tackle in history and linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker reuniting with Las Vegas.
Raider Nation now has a distinctive DawgNation feel about it, as former Bulldogs Brock Bowers and Eric Stokes are already on a roster headed by new coach Klint Kubiak.
The Eagles still have five former UGA players on their active roster, while Green Bay and Baltimore each have four former Bulldogs on their active roster pending the free-agent period.
There could soon be more player movement among Georgia’s 2022 NFL Draft class, with Zamir White, Jamaree Salyer, John FitzPatrick and Derion Kendrick all unrestricted free agents.
Other former national champion Bulldogs, Lewis Cine and Justin Shaffer, face longer odds of returning to the NFL. Cine — who suffered a severe compound fracture of the leg his rookie year — was released from the DC Defenders of the United Football League on Feb. 1, per published reports, and Shaffer parted from the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders in May.
Jake Camarda, a former punter with Tampa Bay and Buffalo, has signed with the UFL’s Columbus Aviators in February.
The deadline to exercise fifth-year options for 2022 first-round picks is Thursday, with the official start of the NFL’s new year (contractually) starting at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Georgia is expected to produce another strong NFL draft class this spring when the draft takes place April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
The Bulldogs sent 10 players to the NFL combine in Indianapolis recently, including projected first-round picks Monroe Freeling and CJ Allen.
Freeling enjoyed a strong NFL combine workout and is widely considered a potential top 10 pick, while Allen postponed the drill portion of his combine attendance until UGA’s pro day on March 18.
Georgia ranks eighth all-time in NFL draft picks produced (379), but Smart has been turning out professional football players like no one else of late.
UGA has had 46 players selected since the end of the 2021 season, the most among any school, outpacing Michigan and Alabama, each of which has produced 34 picks in that time period.
The Bulldogs have also produced an NCAA-best 17 first-round picks since 2018, including an NFL-record five first-round picks from the same school in the draft following the 2021 season.
Here’s a look at where Georgia’s 2022 NFL Draft picks are now, with details acquired through various published reports on their original rookie contracts, and most recent dealings:
Contract information for Georgia’s 2022 NFL draft picks
With overall draft pick, player and current team
First round
No. 1 Travon Walker, Jacksonville
— Jacksonville signed Walker to a four-year, $37.37 million guaranteed rookie contract that ran through 2025.
Most recent: The Jaguars exercised their fifth-year option for the 2026 season worth a guaranteed $15.19 million.
No. 13 Jordan Davis, Philadelphia
— Signed a four-year, $17.01 million guaranteed rookie contract with Philadelphia though 2025.
Most recent: The Eagles exercised Davis’s fifth-year option for $12.9 million before another $65 million guaranteed takes effect for the 2027 and 2028 seasons.
No. 22 Quay Walker, Las Vegas
— Signed a four-year, $13.84 million guaranteed rookie contract with Green Bay that ran through 2025.
Most recent: Las Vegas is signing Walker to a three-year, $40.5 million contract with $28 million guaranteed.
No. 28 Devonte Wyatt, Green Bay
— Green Bay signed Wyatt to a four-year, $12.86 million guaranteed rookie contract that ran through 2025.
Most recent: The Packers exercised a fifth-year option on Wyatt for the 2026 season that will pay him another $12.94 million guaranteed
No. 32 Lewis Cine, not rostered
— Minnesota signed Cine to a four-year, $11.49 million rookie contract
— Cine was waived by Vikings in August 2024 after coming back from severe compound leg fracture suffered during his rookie season.
— The Vikings paid the remainder of Cine’s contract ($6.8 million) when he went unclaimed off waivers.
— Buffalo signed Cine to a one-year, nonguaranteed practice squad contract in August 2024. The Bills paid Cine $309,444 for his time on their practice squad in 2024.
— Philadelphia signed Cine off Buffalo’s practice squad in January 2025, signing him to a one-year, nonguaranteed contract and paying him $252,000 as he finished the season on the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning roster.
Most recent: Cine was selected by the DC Defenders of the United Football League in January but was released Feb. 1.
Second round
No. 52 George Pickens, Dallas
— Pittsburgh signed Pickens to a four-year, $6.75 million rookie contract with $3.1 million in guaranteed money.
— Dallas traded with Pittsburgh for Pickens in May, with the Cowboys assuming the final year of his rookie contract.
Most recent: Dallas placed the franchise tag on Pickens for 2026, which guarantees him a one-year, $27.3 million salary in 2026. Both sides have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal, or Pickens will play under the terms of the tag.
No. 63 James Cook, Buffalo
— Buffalo signed Cook to a four-year, $5.83 million rookie contract, fully guaranteed.
Most recent: Buffalo signed Cook to a four-year, $48 million contract extension that runs through 2029 after he held out before the 2025 season.
Third round
No. 82 Nakobe Dean, Las Vegas
— Philadelphia signed Dean to a four-year, $5.2 million rookie contract with $965,192 guaranteed.
Most recent: Las Vegas is signing Dean to a three-year, $36 million contract that includes $22.5 million in guaranteed money.
No. 102 Channing Tindall, Arizona
— Miami signed Tindall to a four-year, $5.04 million rookie contract with $849,024 guaranteed.
Most recent: Arizona signed Tindall to its practice squad for a $1.1 million base salary after Miami released him in August.
Fourth round
No. 122 Zamir White, free agent
— Las Vegas signed White to a four-year, $4.4 million rookie contract with $743,932 guaranteed.
Most recent: White is an unrestricted free agent.
No. 133 Jake Camarda, not rostered
— Tampa Bay signed Camarda to a four-year, $4.34 million rookie contract with $680,320 guaranteed.
— Tampa Bay released Camarda in October 2024.
— Camarda signed a reserve/future nonguaranteed contract for $1.1 million with Buffalo in January 2025 before being waived in July.
Most recent: Camarda signed with the Columbus Aviators of the United Football League in February.
Sixth round
No. 190 Justin Shaffer, not rostered
— Atlanta signed Shaffer to a four-year, $3.84 million rookie contract with $184,664 guaranteed.
— Atlanta waived Shaffer in March 2024 after he spent time between the active roster and practice squad the previous seasons.
— Shaffer signed with San Antonio of the UFL in October 2024 and Calgary of the CFL in April.
Most recent: Shaffer was released by Calgary in May.
No. 195 Jamaree Salyer, free agent
— The Los Angeles Chargers signed Salyer to a four-year, $3.84 million rookie contract with $175,928 guaranteed.
— Salyer earned a performance-based NFL bonus in 2023 of $840,000 in extra pay, and the Chargers kept him for the 2025 season for $3.4 million via the “Level 1” proven-performance escalator clause.
Most recent: Salyer is an unrestricted free agent.
No. 212 Derion Kendrick, free agent
— The Los Angeles Rams signed Kendrick to a four-year, $3.79 million rookie contract with $132,012 guaranteed.
— Seattle claimed Kendrick off waivers in August, paying $686,664 of a one-year, $1.03 million nonguaranteed contract he had signed with Los Angeles in June.
— The Rams signed Kendrick in November off waivers from Seattle.
Most recent: Kendrick is an unrestricted free agent.
No. 213 John FitzPatrick, Green Bay
— Atlanta signed FitzPatrick to a four-year, $3.79 million contract with $132,016 guaranteed.
— Green Bay signed FitzPatrick in August 2024 after he was waived by Atlanta.
— Green Bay signed FitzPatrick to a one-year, $1.5 million contract in April.
Most recent: FitzPatrick is an unrestricted free agent.
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