Where the next round of Bulldogs could be drafted

So the 2011 NFL draft is over, and Georgia had six players picked: From A.J. Green with the fourth overall pick, to Shaun Chapas with the 220th. That amount is the same as Georgia had picked two years ago.

But could next year’s team have more, and rival the seven Bulldogs picked in 2006, or even the eight who went in 2002?

Here’s a way-too-early stab at where the Bulldogs could go in the 2012 draft:

Second round

TE Orson Charles (Jr.): This is the only early departure I’ll forecast for now. The other one that strikes you as a possibility is John Jenkins, but let’s see how he does when he actually plays first. As for Charles, there’s no question he’s a huge talent. But how much he’s actually featured this season could determine whether he does well enough to go pro.

OL Cordy Glenn: Like Clint Boling, Glenn will offer versatility, having shown he can play guard and tackle in college. Boling slipped a bit, to the fourth round, but Glenn is a bit bigger and more athletic.

CB-KR Brandon Boykin: He thought about it this year, but probably only would have been a mid-round pick, so returning was the smart call. Boykin isn’t a shut-down corner, but he’s an athlete and can also return kicks.

Third round

C Ben Jones: One projection, by Mel Kiper, had Jones as the top-rated underclassmen center this year. But centers and guards don’t tend to go too high in the draft.

Sixth round

P Drew Butler: There were no punters taken in this year’s draft; Florida’s Chas Henry was the only one listed on the NFL.com draft chart. So why project Butler? Because he may just be a better prospect, and it won’t hurt that he has the bloodlines.

K Blair Walsh: On the other hand, there were two kickers taken this year (in the fourth and sixth rounds). Brandon Coutu was a seventh-rounder in 2008. Walsh’s consistency will put him in a position to be drafted, or at minimum to be on someone’s roster at the start of the 2012 season. (Assuming they’ve figured out the labor situation by then).

TE Aron White: He’s actually bigger than Charles, and character is in his corner. Georgia had four tight ends drafted between 2002-2007, but none since then.

Seventh round

OL Justin Anderson: Wait, doesn’t he still have to earn a starting spot? Well yeah, but “Bean” has good size (6-foot-5, 342 pounds) and can play guard and tackle. He may be a poor man’s Cordy Glenn, but that could be enough to have a team take a chance on him.

FB Bruce Figgins: Again, he doesn’t even start yet, and just moved to fullback. But if he does show he can play the position, why wouldn’t an NFL take a flyer?

And you never know:
DB Jakar Hamilton (decent size, and athletic), TB Caleb King (if he has a good year), T Trinton Sturdivant (if he rehabs and decides to keep trying football).