Daylen Everette Reflects on Georgia Days, Eyes NFL Future at Senior Bowl
MOBILE, Alabama - Daylen Everette is getting his first real taste of life after Georgia football - and it’s hitting him harder than he expected.
The former Bulldogs cornerback is in Mobile this week, competing in Senior Bowl practices alongside fellow Georgia specialists Brett Thorson (punter) and Beau Gardner (long snapper). But while the focus is on impressing NFL scouts and coaches, Everette admits there’s a part of him still tethered to Athens.
“I really miss it,” Everette said during Senior Bowl media day. “I miss being with my teammates.
It’s different. It’s only been like a month, but it feels like forever.”
That connection Everette talks about - the one Kirby Smart often preaches - clearly runs deep. And now, with his college career in the rearview mirror, Everette is stepping into the next phase with the same mindset that helped him thrive at Georgia: compete, adapt, and elevate.
Projected as a mid-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft - anywhere from the third to fifth round depending on how he performs this week and at the NFL Combine - Everette knows this is his audition. With 28 NFL general managers and a dozen head coaches in attendance, plus assistants running the drills, the lights are bright. But the moment doesn’t seem too big for him.
Georgia, he says, prepared him well.
“The practices are pretty similar,” Everette noted. “The biggest difference is just the competition - you’re seeing guys from everywhere, and you’re diving into film on new quarterbacks and receivers.”
It’s a different kind of grind, but one he seems ready for.
As he looks around the Senior Bowl rosters, seeing helmet logos from across the country, Everette has had time to reflect. His four years at Georgia were packed with high-stakes football and championship moments - including back-to-back SEC titles. But he’s not dwelling on the past.
“We did some good things when I was at Georgia,” he said. “But that’s in the past now. I’m focused on what’s next - trying to compete and put myself in the best position possible.”
Still, there are memories that stick. Like Kirby Smart’s fiery pregame and halftime speeches - the kind that don’t just motivate, but ignite.
“It’s intense, to a point where it fires you up,” Everette said. “Pregame, he gets you going.
Then halftime, it’s like another level. You just want to keep playing.”
There’s also the lingering thought of what could have been. Georgia’s College Football Playoff run ended in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinals with a loss to Ole Miss, and Everette admits the sting hasn’t fully faded.
“Yeah, you think about it - ‘it could’ve been us,’” he said. “But at the end of the day, that’s not what happened.
You’ve got to take your ‘L.’ You can’t dwell on that.”
Everette did everything he could to keep Georgia’s title hopes alive. He returned a fumble 47 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, giving the Bulldogs a 21-12 lead at the time.
He also nearly came up with a game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter. But Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss had other plans, leading a game-winning drive in what Everette called one of the most impressive performances he’s seen.
“Especially from a quarterback who can move like that,” Everette said. “He was really running around.”
Now, Everette’s the one on the move. After the Senior Bowl, he’ll head to Texas to begin combine training - another step in his journey toward the NFL.
And while his eyes are on the future, he’s keeping tabs on the next wave of Georgia talent. He didn’t hesitate when asked who fans should be watching in Athens next fall.
“Ellis (Robinson IV) and Demello Jones for sure,” he said. “And on the D-line, Elijah Griffin - yeah, he’s going to be really good. And Raylen (Wilson) at linebacker, he’s going to fill a big role.”
Before wrapping up, Everette had one final message for the teammates he’s leaving behind - a bit of wisdom from someone who’s already feeling the pull of nostalgia.
“Really, just take advantage of all the opportunities,” he said. “Don’t take it for granted. Run out there and play like it’s your last.”
For Daylen Everette, the Georgia chapter may be closed - but the next one is just getting started.