The NFL Draft is never a competition for programs as the focus is primarily on the joy each can find when seeing one of their own players getting selected or signed as an undrafted free agent. That mantra might apply to some FBS schools, but to lower level programs, the draft can be seen as a way to prove to players that while they might be in a lower level of play, they are just as good as the big guys.
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The state of Georgia — my own home state — is just the perfect scene to set this up, as the NFL Draft saw seven players get selected from Georgia institutions of higher learning, a very low number compared to the average amount of players that the state sends to the pro level every year.
But when digging deeper into the details of those seven players, you'll find a very interesting piece of data: only one player each from Georgia or Georgia Tech were picked, matching the same amount as D2 member Albany State, and trailing another D2 program, West Georgia, by one player.
Take a look at the list of players below, and then always remember this: it does not matter where players come from while they are in college, it matters that they get an opportunity. Following that, every player is seen as an NFL player, no matter where they played in school.
| Ovr. Pick | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 144 | Grover Stewart | DT | Albany State |
| 172 | Isaiah McKenzie | WR | Georgia |
| 181 | Dylan Donahue | LB | West Georgia |
| 183 | Ukem Eligwe | LB | Georgia Southern |
| 192 | Alex Armah | FB | West Georgia |
| 209 | Robert Davis | WR | Georgia State |
| 233 | Harrison Butker | K | Georgia Tech |
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