Georgia football holds Pro Day: What we saw, heard from UGA’s NFL Draft prospects

Tight end Oscar Delp couldn’t fall asleep until 3:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

“If you don’t have nerves, something’s wrong,” Delp said.

Georgia football hosted its annual Pro Day on Wednesday, March 18, allowing its student-athletes who declared for the NFL Draft to show up and show out in front of representatives from all 32 professional teams.

Delp, Cash Jones, Daylen Everette, CJ Allen, Micah Morris, Christen Miller, Beau Garnder, Zachariah Branch, Noah Thomas, Josh McCray, Monroe Freeling, Colbie Young and Dillon Bell were among those who took the turf in House of Payne’s Indoor Facility at 9:30 a.m. sharp for workouts and interviews. They performed for and met with 49ers general manager John Lynch and Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham, as well as former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, to list a few.

Bulldogs of the past even returned to watch the event, including former quarterback Jake Fromm (2017-19), who threw passes to Colbie Young and the likes while the team’s current quarterbacks were in class.

The NFL Draft first round is set for Thursday, April 23, at 8 p.m. The second through seventh rounds will be featured on Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25, at 7 p.m. and noon respectively.

Here are three big storylines about the Georgia draft hopefuls from Pro Day:

Oscar Delp is clear after hairline fracture discovered in foot

Despite being medically cleared by several doctors in Indianapolis, the tight end was forced to miss the NFL Combine due to a liability issue over a hairline fracture found in his foot on an x-ray.

“My foot feels like a normal foot, like your foot,” Delp said, pointing at the reporter who asked. “I had no pain ever, so it was definitely a shock. It was something that I kind of just heard about in the middle of the season, and I was just as shocked as everybody else, but fortunate enough to go to Dr. Waldrop, who’s with the Saints and one of the best foot doctors in the country.”

He’d forgotten about it, didn’t think anything of it really, but when they compared his x-rays from earlier in the season, it thankfully appeared to be healing. It won’t be something he has to get surgery on.

From the people he’s talked to, he thinks there definitely could have been other guys with the same injury and it was just accidentally overlooked. He was worried, but only momentarily. Doctors eventually put together a good plan for him and he’s glad he went the route he did.

“I have the same chance to hurt my foot as anyone else,” Delp said. “As a guy that I feel is, like I’m a very durable tight end. I take pride in that. I feel like I’m a tough guy. Being at Georgia four years, I never missed a practice or a game and … that’s something that speaks a lot, so to miss (the Combine) was disappointing.”

While he wishes he could have done it in Indiana on the big stage, to do it at home means just as much and he used the second-chance Wednesday to prove what he’s all about.

“I never doubted myself,” he said.

Monroe Freeling hasn’t unlocked his full potential yet

The offensive tackle thinks taking off his knee braces will unlock 15% more of his abilities.

“His flexibility is off the charts, his muscle mass for his size and he’s got really low body fat,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “I don’t think he’s reached his full potential yet. Like, some of the guys have gotten really good over four or five years. He was here three. He still has a tremendous upside. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Monroe all the way yet. He’s going to be a 10-, maybe 15-year pro because he’s really durable, takes care of his body, he’s intelligent and he can play all the positions.”

Freeling’s draft stock has risen since the Combine, where the 6-foot-7, 310-pound lineman recorded a 4.93-second 40-yard dash, and 33.5-inch vertical. He’s being projected higher and higher in mock drafts due to his athleticism, and he’s trying not to tune that out completely.

“You’re going to see it, like you have friends and family and they’re all asking you questions and stuff, but I try to keep my eyes on the prize,” Freeling said. “That’s just me working out, getting ready for the season. Wherever I go, I’m locked in on ball and taking the team all the way.”

Zachariah Branch went from counted out to counted on

If the wide receiver could tell younger Zachariah anything right now, it would be to keep the energy.

“Don’t try to change for anybody,” he said. “You know what works for you.”

Branch plays with a chip on his shoulder, and while that started at a young age, it really kicked in when he was a freshman in high school. People counted him out because of his size, said he couldn’t do certain things, and he took that disrespect personally.

He remembers telling his dad, “I’m going to be the number one receiver in my class.”

And that he was. The No. 1 wide receiver prospect coming out of high school in the state of Nevada, and No. 7 nationally, went on to total 78 receptions for 823 yards and 3 touchdowns in two seasons at USC, before transferring to UGA and setting a school record for single-season receptions with 81 for 811 yards and 6 touchdowns.

But he doesn’t do it to prove other people wrong. He does it to prove himself right.

“Everybody’s journey is different,” he said. “Stay grounded in what works for you and what you know. Keep your loved ones tight and keep your circle tight, especially in our generation. … Know who you are as a person and be confident and comfortable with that.”