Georgia’s pipeline to the first round is still rolling, and ESPN’s latest mock draft shows three Bulldogs landing in the opening 24 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Jordan Reid’s first mock has cornerback Ellis Robinson IV going No. 12 overall to the New York Jets, safety KJ Bolden following at No. 23 to the Cincinnati Bengals, and linebacker Chris Cole coming off the board one pick later at No. 24 to the Dallas Cowboys.
Robinson is the first Georgia name on the board, and the fit in New York is hard to miss. The Jets did not record an interception last season, becoming the first team in NFL history to do that, and they also gave up 36 touchdown passes.
Robinson brings the kind of ball production that jumps off the page. In 2025, he finished with four interceptions, along with 20 tackles, a shared tackle for loss and seven pass breakups in 12 starts.
He’s still refining his technique, but his athletic traits and ball skills make him a real top-15 type if he keeps climbing.
The accolades keep stacking up for Robinson, too. He was an AP preseason All-America First Team selection and also won FWAA Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Georgia player to take home the Defensive Freshman of the Year honor in its third year.
Bolden’s path in the mock sends him to a Cincinnati defense that may need help in the back end. Dax Hill, DJ Turner II and Jordan Battle are all entering the final year of their contracts, so the Bengals could be staring at some turnover in the secondary.
Bolden gives them versatility, but his best NFL fit looks like a center-field safety who can cover ground and clean up plays deep. He’s listed at 6 feet, 180 pounds, and while he’s not the biggest defensive back on the board, he plays with willingness and brings pop as a tackler.
He started all 14 games for Georgia in 2025 and finished second on the team with 76 tackles. He also added 2.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, seven pass defenses, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick, earning SEC Coaches All-SEC Second Team honors.
Cole is the last of Georgia’s projected first-round trio, and his landing spot in Dallas comes with a clear need attached. The Cowboys want a better defense this season, but they still need more young talent on that side of the ball.
At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Cole has the size, range and physical edge teams look for in a linebacker. He’ll need to keep improving his take-on strength in the box and his coverage awareness, but he fits the profile of a player Dallas could value, especially with Dee Winters set to be a free agent after the season.
Georgia leaned on Cole as its most consistent pass rusher in 2025. He posted 59 tackles, a team-high 4.5 sacks and two pass breakups, and his seven tackles for loss ranked second on the team behind CJ Allen’s 8.0.
Reid’s mock also gives a quick snapshot of what Georgia is about to see on the schedule. The Bulldogs are set to face four players projected as first-round picks: South Carolina edge defender Dylan Stewart at No. 6 overall, Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles at No.
9, Oklahoma defensive tackle David Stone at No. 15 and Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy at No. 20.
That number is down from recent years. Georgia had nine players on its 2025 schedule in this same group a year ago and six on the 2024 schedule two years ago.
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