Attention has turned to the 2025 NFL Draft for the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, and the recent ties to the Georgia Bulldogs may be too productive to pass up at No. 32 overall.
The Eagles' standout defense under respected coordinator Vic Fangio was led, in part, by multiple former UGA stars that rose to success under head coach Kirby Smart.
Philadelphia has drafted five Georgia players, all defenders, since 2022.
Head coach Nick Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman drafted defensive linemen Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter and outside linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. with first-round picks. A third-round pick was used on linebacker Nakobe Dean and a fourth-round selection on cornerback Kelee Ringo.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) and defensive tackle Jordan Davis (90) and cornerback Kelee Ringo (22)
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Additionally, former Georgia safety Lewis Cine was added off the Bills practice squad before the Super Bowl. And the Eagles signed former UGA EDGE Azeez Ojulari this offseason.
That marks seven members of Georgia's 2020 defense now on Philadelphia's roster.
Looking ahead to this year's draft, the Eagles could have a first-round opportunity to take an eighth UGA product.
In an alternate-style mock draft from Luke Easterling and Doug Farrar of Athlon Sports, Philadelphia uses its No. 32 overall pick to take three-time All-American safety Malaki Starks.
Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Malaki Starks (24).
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Easterling and Farrar chose to use a "what we would do" format rather than attempting to project what will happen on Day 1.
"It's ridiculous that he's (Starks) lasted this long," Farrar said Monday on "BPA: The NFL Draft Show." ... The athleticism is off the charts."
"And he went to Georgia so it's, well, of course it's just gonna happen," Easterling responded.
Starks (6-foot-1, 197 pounds) hit the ground running at Georgia after signing as a five-star recruit out of Jefferson, Georgia, in the class of 2022. He secured a starting role and won a national championship as a true freshman.
After significant NFL departures, Starks took on a larger role, both on the field and as a leader, in his sophomore season. He cemented his legacy at UGA as a senior last season, earning All-American honors for the third consecutive year.
Starks, who didn't miss a single game at Georgia, amassed 197 total tackles (6 for loss) with six interceptions and 17 pass breakups in 43 games.
Despite a stellar career as a Bulldog, Farrar noted that Starks wasn't elite in coverage, at times, throughout his career. That's where Fangio could step in and help mold Starks into a dependable starter at the next level.
"I think if there's one guy who can fix the transitive coverage issues that Starks does have in any system – I think it's Vic," Farrar said. "There are few guys better when it comes to the secondary in reducing that hair lateness. You know he can close it up."
The 2025 NFL Draft will take place from April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
