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NFL Draft: Three Dawgs Picked in Round One
GREEN BAY, Wisc. — After three Bulldogs were selected on Thursday night, Georgia has now had at least one first-round pick for eight straight years following day one of the 2025 NFL Draft.
DE Mykel Williams went 11th overall to the San Francisco 49ers, LB Jalon Walker was selected 15th by the Atlanta Falcons, and the Baltimore Ravens picked DB Malaki Starks 27th.
This aforementioned trio helped Georgia compile a 39-4 record during their three seasons as the Bulldogs won a pair of Southeastern Conference titles and the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship. The Bulldogs have now had 20 first-round selections, with only 19 total losses, during the Kirby Smart era, which started in 2016.
With three members of the Georgia defense selected, the Bulldogs have had at least one defender selected in the opening round for four of the last five years. Georgia has produced 13 first-round selections over the past four seasons, as well as three first-round picks for the third time in program history.
Notes on this year’s Bulldogs selected:
- Williams: This marks the fifth consecutive season that the Bulldogs have had one of their frontline defenders taken in the draft.
- Walker: Twenty linebackers from Georgia have been picked since 2010 with seven of those being selected in the first round.
- Starks: Georgia has now had 13 defensive backs selected since 2019, with four of them being selected in the first round.
Williams played in 40 career games, starting 18 of them, and had his best year in Athens in 2024. The Coaches SEC Second Team selection had 21 stops, including 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks, and forced two fumbles in just 12 games. Similar to Walker, the Columbus, Ga., native thrived when the lights were brightest, recording a pair of sacks against the Longhorns in Austin and then another two against then-No. 2 Texas in the SEC Championship Game victory. Williams had 67 stops, including 21.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks, in his three seasons for the Bulldogs.
Williams is the fourth Bulldog to be drafted by the 49ers in the 2000s and the third from Kirby Smart’s teams. San Francisco’s last Georgia selection was also a defensive end when Robert Beal Jr. was selected in the fifth round during the 2023 draft.
Walker, a native of Salisbury, N.C., won the 2024 Butkus Award after playing the role of the Bulldogs’ versatile linebacker who played both inside and outside. The 2024 AFCA First Team All-American finished fourth on the team with 60 stops, including a team-leading 10.5 tackles for loss and a team-best 6.5 sacks, to go along with a pair of fumble recoveries. Walker wreaked havoc at No. 1 Texas with seven tackles featuring three sacks as Georgia downed the Longhorns in Austin in front of a record-breaking crowd. He finished with 89 stops, 18 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks in 43 games since 2022.
Walker becomes the first Bulldog to be selected in the first round by the Falcons in the organization’s history. He marks the 13th player picked by Atlanta since 1968 and the fourth in the last four years. Walker’s former teammate, Zion Logue, was selected by the Falcons in the sixth round of last year’s draft.
Starks, who hails from Jefferson, Ga., was Georgia’s team leader in tackles with 77 last season while adding four tackles for loss and an interception. A First Team All-American in both 2023 and 2024, Starks was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup after jumpstarting the Bulldogs’ 2024 season opener with a pick during Georgia’s 34-3 rout of No. 14 Clemson. Starks played in all 43 games since the 2022 season, starting 42 of them, and racked up 197 tackles and six interceptions.
Starks is only the fourth Bulldog selected by the Ravens all-time after Baltimore selected Musa Smith (2003), DeAngelo Tyson (2012), and Ben Cleveland (2021) in previous drafts.
The NFL Draft continues Friday in Green Bay with rounds 2-3 starting at 7 p.m., followed by the final four rounds beginning Saturday at noon.
BSB: Oklahoma Takes Game One of Series, 8-6
Tenth-ranked Georgia fell to No. 14 Oklahoma, 8-6, at Foley Field in front of a crowd of 3,042 on Thursday night.
Fast Facts
- Sophomore Tre Phelps put Georgia on the board with a solo shot over the left field wall in the third inning for his sixth home run of the year. Georgia has an NCAA-leading 106 home runs.
- Senior Slate Alford extended his on-base streak to 27 games with a single in the first inning, tying Phelps for a season-high.
- Down 8-1 in the eighth inning, senior Henry Hunter reached base on an error while graduate Devin Obee and Slate Alford both hit singles to load the bases. Graduate Ryland Zaborowski hit a double to left field, clearing the bases, before graduate Nolan McCarthy hit an RBI-single to notch Georgia’s fourth run of the inning.
- Obee doubled down the first base line before Kolby Branch hit an RBI-single to center field to narrow the score to 8-6.
- Junior Brian Curley (2-2) recorded four strikeouts through five innings, giving up just two runs in the second inning but got the loss. OU starter Kyson Witherspoon allowed one run on five hits through seven innings to improve to 8-2.
Key Quote
Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Wes Johnson
On what went wrong tonight…
“We can’t chase heaters. We chased a lot of fastballs tonight out of the strike zone. Chased some sliders off the plate, they didn’t. They forced us to get into the middle of the strike zone and when we did, they got off a couple good swings tonight. We have to get back to that.”
On Tre Phelps’s performance tonight…
“Getting off some better swings. I think if you watched the Vanderbilt series he chased some of the pitches he laid off of tonight and Tuesday. He’s not chasing those, so you force the pitcher into a count that allows you to get off a better swing on a pitch in the middle of the strike zone.”
On the late comeback…
“Too late. There are no moral victories in our game. It shows a win’s column, it shows a loss column, it shows standings. We’re talking about the ninth and the eighth, you have to do that in the first, second, third, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, the seventh, and we just haven’t been doing it.”
Up Next
Due to inclement weather in the forecast for Friday night, Georgia (33-11, 10-9 SEC) will continue the home series against No. 14 Oklahoma (29-12, 11-8 SEC) Friday at 1:02 p.m. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.
MBB: Dawgs in the Pros – April 24, 2025
By Kyle Tatelbaum
With the 2025 professional baseball season underway, here’s a look at how former Bulldogs have started in the Major Leagues (MLB) and the minors.
Three former Bulldogs appeared in the MLB during opening week, while another 14 are working their way up the professional ladder.
The Bulldogs at the MLB level include pitcher Jonathan Cannon (Chicago White Sox), infielder Kyle Farmer (Colorado Rockies), and pitcher Emerson Hancock (Seattle Mariners).
In his second season in the Majors, Cannon has pitched 24.1 innings through five starts with a 4.81 ERA, 22 strikeouts, and a 0-3 mark. Even with a WHIP of 1.56, the 24-year-old has been extremely effective with runners on base, holding batters to a .059 average.
After spending the last two years with the Minnesota Twins, Kyle Farmer now suits up for the Colorado Rockies, his fourth team during his nine-year career. Farmer has been swinging the bat well, hitting .284 with a .737 OPS for a Rockies team that is struggling offensively.
A 2020 first-round pick, Emerson Hancock, began the 2025 campaign on the Seattle Mariners’ Opening Day roster but was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma after a rough first start. Hancock was quickly recalled after just two starts in Tacoma, where he struck out 12 in 9.2 innings with a 3.72 ERA. Hancock has bounced back nicely, delivering 5.0 innings against the Cincinnati Reds and 6.0 innings in a win against the Boston Red Sox, surrendering two runs in both outings. He has a 3.27 ERA in April.
Last Saturday, the Rockies recalled 2019 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award winner, Aaron Schunk, from Triple-A Albuquerque after 13 games in the minors. Schunk made his MLB season debut at second base against the Washington Nationals and went 2-7 in the series with a double and a run. Currently, Schunk is hitting .300 through four games with a .700 OPS. In 39 games with 28 starts for Colorado last season, Schunk batted .234 with three doubles, two home runs and seven RBI in 94 at-bats.
Below is a summary of the Bulldogs who have played exclusively in the minors this season, including their most recent level.
TRIPLE-A
Ryan Webb began his fourth season of professional baseball with the Cleveland Guardians’ Triple-A Affiliate, the Columbus Clippers. The 26-year-old Webb was extremely effective last season, starting in Double-A, where he struck out 118 batters in 106.2 innings while holding a 2.87 ERA. Webb spent the latter half of the season in AAA, where he went 2-0 with a 2.60 ERA through seven starts. He picked up where he left off, starting the 2025 campaign with batters hitting just .183 against the southpaw, while posting a 1.17 WHIP.
Pitcher Ben Harris has been a valuable reliever with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Triple-A Affiliate, the Oklahoma City Comets, after spending most of the 2024 campaign in AA. The 25-year-old left-hander has appeared in seven games out of the bullpen, allowing just three runs through 9.1 innings pitched. Harris has held opposing batters to a .143 average and sports a 2.89 ERA.
DOUBLE-A
Righthander Cole Wilcox began his fourth season of professional baseball, starting with the Tampa Bay Rays’ Double-A Affiliate, the Montgomery Biscuits. After pitching every game of his professional career as a starter, Wilcox made his debut from the bullpen, posting a 3.68 ERA with a hold and a save in five relief appearances. Wilcox started the 2024 campaign with the Biscuits but was promoted to the Triple-A Durham Bulls in early August. The 25-year-old right-hander went a combined 10-7 with a 3.57 ERA in 28 starts with 110 strikeouts in 143.2 innings.
Will Childers began his third season of professional baseball with the Milwaukee Brewers’ Double-A Affiliate, the Biloxi Shuckers. Childers has been sensational in relief for the Shuckers, holding opponents to a .152 batting average with an impressive 0.75 WHIP. In seven appearances, Childers has recorded three saves and owns a 2.89 ERA. Childers battled injuries at Georgia and signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024. He was one of seven Brewers prospects in the organization selected to play in the prestigious Arizona Fall League.
Macon native Jaden Woods started his third professional campaign with the Altoona Curve, the Double-A Affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Currently, Woods owns a 3-1 record, appearing in seven games in relief. Woods was promoted to Double-A last season in June after starting the year at the High-A level with the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Woods posted a 4-3 record with a 3.75 ERA, 4 saves, and 74 strikeouts through 60 innings last year.
SINGLE-A
Chandler Marsh signed with the New York Mets as an undrafted free agent on July 22, 2024, as he began his first full season of professional baseball in Single-A with the St. Lucie Mets. Marsh has been tremendous this season, not allowing a single hit or run in 9.2 innings of relief. Marsh has struck out 14 batters and surrendered just one walk, posting an eye-popping 0.10 WHIP and a 0.00 ERA.
After coming back from arm surgery, Dylan Ross began his first full professional campaign after appearing in just one game last season. Ross was promoted from the New York Mets’ Single-A Affiliate to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones ahead of this season and has been excellent. In five appearances in relief, Ross limited batters to a .045 average and holds a 1.35 ERA through 6.2 innings.
The 2024 third overall pick, Charlie Condon, made his professional baseball debut last season with the Colorado Rockies’ High-A Affiliate. Currently, the 2024 Golden Spikes winner is on the injured list with a broken wrist but will start the season with Spokane when healthy.
A sixth-round draft pick in 2024, Corey Collins is set to begin his first full season of professional baseball in the New York Mets organization. Collins has yet to make his 2025 debut after being promoted to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. Last season with the Single-A Affiliate St. Lucie Mets, Collins hit .217 with a home run and three RBI in limited action.
Christian Mracna signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent on July 22, 2024, as he started his first full season of professional baseball. Mracna has made three appearances with Single-A Dunedin, walking seven batters through 1.2 innings. In six appearances with the Dunedin Blue Jays last season, the 24-year-old recorded eight strikeouts and a 1.35 ERA in 6.2 innings.
Former catcher-turned-pitcher Shane Marshall enjoyed an impressive professional debut last season with the Chicago Cubs’ Single-A Affiliate, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. A former 14th-round pick in 2022, Marshall made 33 relief appearances, posting a 2-3 record with a 2.52 ERA and seven saves. In 39.1 innings pitched, he tallied 42 strikeouts and was one of seven players to be selected to play in the Arizona Fall League. Unfortunately, before he was able to make his 2025 season debut, Marshall was placed on the full-season injured list.
A 22-year-old left-hander, Liam Sullivan, will begin the 2025 campaign on the 60-day injured list after having his season end last April due to surgery. The pitcher made a pair of starts for the Washington Nationals’ Single-A Affiliate, the Fredericksburg Nationals, going 0-0 with a 1.93 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 9.1 innings.
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