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3 Georgia Bulldogs picked in first-round of ESPN 2026 NFL mock draft
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- 3 Georgia Bulldogs picked in first-round of ESPN 2026 NFL mock draft
ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. recently created his first 2026 NFL mock draft following the College Football Playoff national championship game. Kiper Jr. has Indiana Hoosiers star quarterback Fernando Mendoza going No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders .
He also has three Georgia Bulldogs going in the first-round of the draft . That would mark the second straight year with three UGA players being first-round picks.
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Kiper Jr. predicts that the Carolina Panthers will draft Georgia linebacker CJ Allen with the No. 19 pick in the draft. Carolina needs a linebacker and Kiper Jr. has Allen as his third-highest ranked inside linebacker, so the Panthers would make a lot of sense for Allen. Kiper Jr. says "there's a looming void in the middle" of the Carolina defense and thinks Allen is the kind of three-down linebacker the Panthers need.
Next, he has the Cleveland Browns selecting Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch No. 24. Branch is one of the most explosive players in the draft and is excellent in the open field. His ability to separate is much-needed for the Browns, who had the fewest wide receiver yards in the NFL in 2025.
Finally, Kiper Jr. predicts that the Los Angeles Rams will spend a first-round pick on Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling with the No. 29 pick in the draft. The draft's final four picks aren't settled yet, but Freeling could help solidify things along the Rams' offensive front. You can never have too many good linemen in the NFL.
Georgia Bulldogs in Mel Kiper Jr.'s 2026 NFL mock draft
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Linebacker CJ Allen (No. 19, Carolina Panthers)
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Wide receiver Zachariah Branch (No. 24, Cleveland Browns)
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Offensive tackle Monroe Freeling (No. 29, Los Angeles Rams)
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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: NFL mock draft projects 3 Georgia Bulldogs as first-round picks
