Fifty-one Bulldogs on rosters as NFL season begins

ATHENS, Ga. – A total of 51 Georgia football alums will begin the 2020 season on NFL rosters.

There are currently 32 Bulldogs on 53-man rosters and an additional 15 on practice squads for 22 NFL teams. Another four Bulldogs are on team reserve lists.

The NFL season begins this week with the Thursday contest between Houston and Kansas City. Receiver/Pro Bowl return specialist Mecole Hardman helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV and extend Georgia’s streak of at least one player in the final game to 19 straight seasons.

Six Georgia veterans have joined new teams since last season — running back Todd Gurley to Atlanta, defensive lineman John Jenkins to Chicago, linebacker Leonard Floyd to the Los Angeles Rams, linebacker D’Andre Walker to Seattle, linebacker Alec Ogletree to the New York Jets, and linebacker Thomas Davis to Washington. Davis is the oldest Bulldog in the league at 37.

Fourteen players who were on the 2019 Georgia roster made teams as rookies — quarterback Jake Fromm (Buffalo); running back D’Andre Swift (Detroit); receivers Lawrence Cager (New York Jets) and Tyler Simmons (Houston); tight ends Charlie Woerner (San Francisco) and Eli Wolf (Baltimore); offensive linemen Solomon Kindley (Miami), Andrew Thomas (New York Giants) and Isaiah Wilson (Tennessee); defensive lineman Michael Barnett (New England); linebacker Tae Crowder (New York Giants); defensive backs Tyrique McGhee (Los Angeles Rams) and J.R. Reed (Los Angeles Rams); and kicker Rodrigo Blankenship (Indianapolis).

Chicago has the most Bulldogs with five, followed by Detroit, New England, and the Los Angeles Rams with four apiece.

Georgia has 10 receivers and 10 linebackers in the league, while there are seven each on the offensive and defensive lines. Georgia has at least one player at every position.

53-Man Rosters (32)
David Andrews, OL, New England Patriots
Geno Atkins, DL, Cincinnati Bengals
Rodrigo Blankenship, PK, Indianapolis Colts
Lorenzo Carter, LB, New York Giants
Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
Chris Conley, WR   Jacksonville Jaguars
Tae Crowder, LB, New York Giants
Thomas Davis, LB, Washington Football Team
Leonard Floyd, LB, Los Angeles Rams
Jake Fromm, QB, Buffalo Bills
Lamont Gaillard, OL, Arizona Cardinals
A.J. Green, WR   Cincinnati Bengals
Todd Gurley, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Mecole Hardman, WR   Kansas City Chiefs
Justin Houston, DE, Indianapolis Colts
Jordan Jenkins, LB, New York Jets
John Jenkins, DL, Chicago Bears
Abry Jones, DL, Jacksonville Jaguars
Ben Jones, OL, Tennessee Titans
Solomon Kindley, OL, Miami Dolphins
Isaiah McKenzie, WR   Buffalo Bills
Sony Michel, RB, New England Patriots
Riley Ridley, WR   Chicago Bears
Roquan Smith, LB, Chicago Bears
Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions
D’Andre Swift , RB, Detroit Lions
Andrew Thomas, OL, New York Giants
D’Andre Walker, LB, Seattle Seahawks
Shawn Williams, DB, Cincinnati Bengals
Javon Wims, WR   Chicago Bears
Charlie Woerner, TE, San Francisco 49ers
Isaiah Wynn, OL, New England Patriots

Practice Squads (15)
Davin Bellamy, LB, Houston Texans
Lawrence Cager, WR, New York Jets
Reggie Davis, WR, Chicago Bears
Terry Godwin, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Elijah Holyfield, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Tyrique McGhee, DB, Los Angeles Rams
Nick Moore, LS, Baltimore Ravens
Isaac Nauta, TE, Detroit Lions
Cam Nizialek, P, Atlanta Falcons
Alec Ogletree , LB, New York Jets
Natrez Patrick , LB , Los Angeles Rams
J.R. Reed, DB, Los Angeles Rams
Tyler Simmons, WR, Houston Texans
Jayson Stanley, DB, Seattle Seahawks
Eli Wolf, TE, Baltimore Ravens

COVID-19 Reserve (1)
Isaiah Wilson, OL, Tennessee Titans

Injured Reserve (1)
Michael Barnett, DL, New England Patriots

Non-Football Injury (1)
Jonathan Ledbetter, DL, Miami Dolphins

COVID-19 Opt Out (1)
John Atkins, DL, Detroit Lions