Isaiah Wilson heard his name called by the Tennessee Titans at pick number 29 on Thursday night during the 2020 NFL Draft.
THE MOMENT
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) April 24, 2020
What a feeling to hear your name called. Can't wait to watch you tear 'em up on Sundays, @_LayZay_. #NFLDraft #DawgsInTheNFL pic.twitter.com/telC5vzWs4
Wilson signed with the Bulldogs as part of Georgia’s 2017 recruiting class out of Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, New York. Coming out of high school, the 6-foot-7 and 354 lbs Wilson was ranked as a five-star offensive tackle prospect by 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals.
In that same 2017 recruiting class for Georgia, Wilson joined fellow offensive lineman Andrew Thomas, who became the first Bulldog taken off the board on Thursday, going fourth overall to the New York Giants. After Wilson got the news, Thomas was quick to congratulate his former teammate.
1st round Dawgs‼️ Congrats bro @_LayZay_
— Andrew Thomas (@allforgod_55) April 24, 2020
While Thomas would go on to start at right tackle for UGA as a true freshman in 2017, Wilson would take a redshirt, but with Thomas moving to left tackle in 2018, Wilson won the vacated right tackle starting job and never looked back. In the last two seasons, Wilson played in 25 games for the Bulldogs starting 24 wearing No. 79.
Head coach Kirby Smart Tweeted out a short video clip congratulating Wilson and sharing some fond memories he had of “Mr. Brooklyn” during his time at the University of Georgia as a student-athlete.
Big man, big energy, big future !! Congrats @_LayZay_, go show out in Nashville !! pic.twitter.com/bRbl9FISGT
— Coach Kirby Smart (@KirbySmartUGA) April 24, 2020
Wilson makes the first Georgia player Tennessee has drafted in the first round. The Titans’ organization have drafted two other Bulldogs in previous NFL Drafts selecting linebacker Rennie Curran in the third round in 2010 at pick number 97 overall and linebacker D’Andre Walker in the fifth round in last year’s 2019 Draft at pick 168 overall.
Some UGA players that didn’t get to hear their named called on day one of the Draft but hope to do so on day two on Friday or day three on Saturday are defensive lineman Michael Barnett, placekicker Rodrigo Blankenship, wide receiver Lawrence Cager, defensive lineman Tyler Clark, linebacker Tae Crowder, quarterback Jake Fromm, running back Brian Herrien, offensive guard Solomon Kindley, defensive end David Marshall, safety J.R. Reed, wide receiver Tyler Simmons, running back D’Andre Swift, tight end Charlie Woerner, tight end Eli Wolf, and defensive end Justin Young.
Of those, Fromm, Kindley, and Swift are the three most likely to have their names called on Friday night when NFL teams make selections during the second and third rounds of the Draft. And for any of the Dawgs who end up not getting drafted on Friday or Saturday, they will have an opportunity to sign with a team as an undrafted free agent like Elijah Holyfield (signed with the Carolina Panthers), Jonathan Ledbetter (signed with the Miami Dolphins) and Natrez Patrick (signed with the L.A. Rams) in 2019.