About 20 to 25 former Georgia high school football players are expected to go in the NFL draft this week, and Caleb Downs, a former AJC all-classification player of the year, is almost certain to extend the state’s streak of at least one first-round pick since 2009.
The draft is Thursday through Saturday in Pittsburgh.
Downs, who led Mill Creek to a 2022 state title as a wide receiver/defensive back, is the consensus No. 8 player in the draft, according to NFL Mock Draft Database.
Downs just finished his junior season at Ohio State and is a two-time consensus first-team All-America safety.
Five former Georgia players are considered borderline first-round choices.
They are linebacker C.J. Allen (Lamar County/Georgia), cornerback Colton Hood (Eagle’s Landing Christian/Tennessee), defensive lineman Kayden McDonald (North Gwinnett/Ohio State), cornerback Avieon Terrell (Westlake/Clemson) and edge Zion Young (Westlake/Missouri).
Allen, McDonald and Downs are former AJC Super 11 choices who were among the 28 consensus first-team All-Americans in 2025.
Below are 52 former Georgia high school players who appear on the NFL Mock Draft Database’s Consensus Big Board. It is a composite of more than 150 big boards and 1,200 first-round mock drafts.
The AJC identified the former Georgia players in that database to produce this list.
Former Georgia high school players’ projections for 2026 NFL draft
Overall / Position / Player / College / High school
- First round
- 8 / S / Caleb Downs / Ohio State / Mill Creek
- 31 / DL / Kayden McDonald / Ohio State / North Gwinnett
- 32 / CB / Avieon Terrell / Clemson / Westlake
- Second round
- 34 / CB / Colton Hood / Tennessee / Eagle’s Landing Christian
- 36 / LB / CJ Allen / Georgia / Lamar County
- 37 / EDGE / Zion Young / Missouri / Westlake
- 47 / DL / Christen Miller / Georgia / Cedar Grove
- 56 / IOL / Keylan Rutledge / Georgia Tech / Franklin County
- 62 / IOL / Connor Lew / Auburn / Kennesaw Mountain
- Third round
- 69 / WR / Ted Hurst / Georgia State / Johnson-Savannah
- 77 / EDGE / Romello Height / Texas Tech / Dublin
- 82 / TE / Oscar Delp / Georgia / West Forsyth
- 84 / EDGE / Joshua Josephs / Tennessee / North Cobb
- 94 / S / Jalon Kilgore / South Carolina / Putnam County
- Fourth round
- 106 / IOL / Jalen Farmer / Kentucky / Eastside
- 112 / EDGE / LT Overton / Alabama / Milton
- 121 / S / VJ Payne / Kansas State / Buford
- Fifth round
- 172 / TE / Marlin Klein / Michigan / Rabun Gap-Nacoochee
- Sixth round
- None
- Seventh round
- 243 / DL / Cameron Ball / Arkansas / Tri-Cities
- 249 / WR / CJ Daniels / Miami / Parkview
- 252 / TE / Dae’Quan Wright / Mississippi / Perry
- 257 / CB / Avery Smith / Toledo / Riverwood
- 265 / RB / Noah Whittington / Oregon / Peach County
- 271 / IOL / Micah Morris / Georgia / Camden County
- Others
- 306 / CB / Marcus Allen / North Carolina / Walton
- 321 / EDGE / Tyre West / Tennessee / Tift County
- 360 / S / Skyler Thomas / Oregon State / Heard County
- 392 / RB / Jamal Haynes / Georgia Tech / Grayson
- 417 / S / TJ Quinn / Louisville / Lowndes
- 432 / LB / West Weeks / LSU / Oconee County
- 444 / CB / Rodney Shelley / Georgia Tech / Hughes
- 485 / QB / Thomas Castellanos / Florida State / Ware County
- 490 / DL / Zaylin Wood / Vanderbilt / Heard County
- 493 / CB / Rashad Battle / Pittsburgh / Creekside
- 533 / OT / Shamurad Umarov / Tennessee / Denmark
- 553 / TE / Holden Staes / Indiana / Westminster
- 565 / OT / Dayne Shor / Akron / Denmark
- 580 / IOL / Pichon Wimbley / Georgia Southern / Newnan
- 588 / EDGE / Darren Agu / New Mexico / Rabun Gap-Nacoochee
- 592 / S / Malik Spencer / Michigan State / Buford
- 618 / DL / Jonathan Jefferson / SMU / Douglas County
- 628 / CB / Nyland Green / Arizona State / Newton
- 631 / IOL / Terrence Ferguson / Syracuse / Peach County
- 635 / WR / Dacari Collins / Louisville / Westlake
- 639 / S / David Daniel-Sisavanh / Troy / Woodstock
- 649 / WR / Deion Colzie / Miami (OH) / Athens Academy
- 654 / S / Jordan Favors / Appalachian State / Griffin
- 661 / WR / Jared Brown / South Carolina / Parkview
- 668 / WR / Jayden Thomas / Virginia / Pace Academy
- 680 / IOL / Ashton Grable / Florida A&M / Wilkinson County
- 684 / DL / Zykeivous Walker / Auburn / Schley County
- 726 / QB / Zach Calzada / Kentucky / Lanier
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