Orlando International Airport won't be welcoming many NFL scouts for New Year's weekend.
Unlike last January's game between Georgia and Penn State that included more than a dozen draftable players, 10 of which were selected in the 2016 NFL Draft, this year's participants, Georgia Tech and Kentucky, will struggle to combine for two 2017 NFL Draft selections.
As the Wildcats and Yellow Jackets prepare for their season finales, here are the top 2017 NFL Draft prospects in the Taxslayer Bowl, ranked:
| Rank | Player | Pos. | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jon Toth | C | Kentucky |
| 2 | Freddie Burden | C | Georgia Tech |
| 3 | P.J. Davis | LB | Georgia Tech |
After earning All-SEC Freshman honors in 2013, Jon Toth has been on an NFL path.
One of the most reliable interior linemen in college football over the last four years, the 6-foot-5, 310-pound center — who could move to guard at the next level — helped running back Boom William average a single-season program record 7.1 yards per carry in 2015 and the team rack up 2,895 rushing yards in 2016, the 12th-highest total in the nation.
A likely mid-round pick, Toth is the only Taxslayer Bowl player guaranteed to be selected in April.
His bowl counterpart, Georgia Tech's Freddie Burden, is seeking to become just the second Paul Johnson-recruited offensive lineman to be drafted.
An All-ACC center, the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder started 37 games over the last three seasons, all of which the Yellow Jackets finished in the top 20 nationally in rushing, including a top-ranked attack in 2014. Burden, a powerful and light-footed blocker, is fighting for a late-round selection.
Another Yellow Jacket seeking late-round consideration is linebacker P.J. Davis.
Constantly overlooked because of his size (5-foot-11, 231 pounds), the productive Davis had 307 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and four forced fumbles in four seasons. He's quick, breaks down brilliantly at the point of attack, decent in coverage and has already proven his worth on special teams, an area most likely to earn him an NFL roster spot next season.
