Insider notes on Georgia & Kentucky: Draft projections for Dillon Bell, Ja'Mori Maclin, and more

The Georgia Bulldogs have had at least one player selected in the first round of every draft since 2018. And more times than not, they had multiple players selected in the initial round. During that span, the program won several national titles. Yet looking towards 2026, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Georgia is shut out of the top 100 selections. Meanwhile Kentucky, who had a player selected in the first round last April and has had several Day 2 choices in recent years, may only have a few late-round prospects.

Georgia Bulldogs

Consensus in the scouting community is that the top Bulldogs prospects can be found at receiver, and unlike previous years, there are no highly rated defensive front-seven players.

Dillon Bell is graded as a potential third-round prospect by scouts I’ve spoken with, as he’s a big-bodied possession wideout with reliable hands. Bell was consistent last season on a team where the wideouts regularly dropped catchable passes. He possesses eye/hand coordination and wins out for the contested throw. Yet he’s a slower (4.55-second 40) wideout with limited quickness who struggles separating from defenders, which I why I have a fourth-round grade on him.

Noah Thomas is another surehanded wideout with a long frame and solid pass-catching fundamentals. He was reliable for Texas A&M last season, but he struggles in battles and plays to one speed.

Zachariah Branch is a smaller but quick wideout who was very consistent for USC the past two seasons. He has the quickness the other two wideouts lack, separates from defenders through routes and catches the ball well.

Despite the fact he was primarily a backup last season and filled in when Earnest Greene III was out with injury during the College Football Playoffs, I like what little I’ve seen from Monroe Freeling. He’s a nice-sized lineman who blocks with terrific fundamentals and holds the point. He did give up a bad sack against Notre Dame in the playoffs, but I was impressed with the way he played against Auburn and feel he will only improve as he steps into the starting lineup this season.

Speaking of Greene, the senior blocker is all over the place if you speak with scouts. He’s been a consistent lineman for Georgia, but he lacks the height to play tackle (which is where many have him listed), the balance to finish blocks and the athleticism to be used in motion.

Daylen Everette is a nice-sized corner who flashes ability, but he must significantly improve his ball skills, as he’s constantly faceguarding opponents and rarely gets his head back around.

Georgia Prospects
Grade	Rnd	Pos	Full Name	Yr	#
3.54	4th	WR	Dillon Bell	4Sr	86
3.48	5th	T	Monroe Freeling	3Jr	57
3.45	5th	WR	Noah Thomas	4Sr	5
3.42	5th	WR	Zachariah Branch	4Jr	2
3.42	5th	CB	Daylen Everette	4Sr	6
3.38	6th	CB	Daniel Harris	3Jr	7
3.37	6th	TE	Lawson Luckie	3Jr	7
3.35	6th	G	Earnest Greene III	4Jr	71
3.35	6th	WR	Colbie Young	4Sr	8
3.34	6th	TE	Oscar Delp	4Sr	4
3.24	FA	RB	Josh McCray	5Sr	2
3.22	FA	G	Micah Morris	5Sr	56
3.16	FA	RB	Cash Jones	5Sr	32
3.1	FA	P	Brett Thorson	4Sr	92

Kentucky Wildcats

The Wildcats were on the losing end of the transfer portal, as their top prospects, both receivers, left for other programs.

Receiver Ja'Mori Maclin, who came to Kentucky by way of Missouri then North Texas, is the highest-rated Wildcat in the scouting community and has received solid late-round grades. He’s solidly built and shows a lot of quickness and decent playing speed. Maclin also catches the ball well, when it’s thrown in his direction. He had just 13 receptions in eight games last season, which is why I put a PFA grade on him. Now that Barion Brown and Dane Key have moved on from Kentucky, Maclin becomes WR1 and has a chance to stand out and improve his draft stock.

Jager Burton is a large and somewhat athletic offensive lineman who is very explosive and tough as nails. He’s quick to the second level, yet he shows a lot of stiffness in his game, which holds him back.

Kentucky
Grade	Rnd	Pos	Full Name	Yr	#
3.31	6th	G	Jager Burton	4Sr	62
3.24	FA	WR	Ja'Mori Maclin	5Sr	9
3.19	FA	T	Shiyazh Pete	5Sr	73
3.16	FA	DT	David Gusta	5Sr	60
3.14	FA	QB	Zach Calzada	7Sr	5
3.09	FA	S	Jordan Lovett	5Sr	25
3.06	FA	G	Joshua Braun	6th	75
3.03	FA	T	Alex Wollschlaeger	6Sr	50
3.02	FA	TE	Josh Kattus	4Sr	84
2.99	FA	OLB	Kam Olds	4Sr	1