The 2026 NFL Draft is set to take place from April 23-25, and, for the first time, it will take place in Pittsburgh. To the surprise of no one, Georgia showed out at its Pro Day last month, and now several players have seen their stock improve. ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. updated his top 25 this week, which saw Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling move up from No. 17 overall to No. 13 overall and remains No. 2 among true offensive tackles.
On Freeling, Kiper said:
Freeling is still developing -- he has started 18 games, and only five of those came before last season. But his year-over-year improvement stood out, especially in pass protection. He's quick out of his stance (4.93 in the 40-yard dash), shows good hand placement and is alert when dealing with stunts. With long 34¾-inch arms, Freeling does a nice job taking away the inside move of edge rushers, too. He needs to work on his run blocking, though.
Freeling appeared in all 14 games in the 2025 season, starting 13, and earning SEC Coaches All-SEC Second Team honors, along with two SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week selections. He played in 35 games in three seasons at Georgia, with 17 starts.
Linebacker CJ Allen reentered the top 25 and is once again ranked No. 23 in the last update. He remains No. 2 among off-ball linebackers in the positional rankings.
Allen is a three-down linebacker at the next level because his read-and-react skills are excellent and he can make plays in all three aspects of the defense. He has the physicality to take on blocks in the run game and the speed to chase down ball carriers once he disengages. He has the burst to blitz and get to the QB, too. And he can drop and defend in coverage, with nine pass breakups and an interception over the past two campaigns.
The FWAA All-American First Team selection and AFCA and Walter Camp All-America Second Team selection started in all 12 games he played in this season, leading Georgia with 85 tackles and eight tackles for loss, along with 4.5 sacks, an interception, 11 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. Allen was a finalist for the Butkus Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy, a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award, and the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award this season.
Several Georgia players moved up in Kiper's positional rankings, with several possibly knocking on the door of the first round. Zachariah Branch comes in at No. 4 among wide receivers, after being ranked No. 9 in the previous update. Oscar Delp comes in at No. 2 among tight ends. Christen Miller moves up two spots and is now No. 3 among defensive tackles. Brett Thorson is ranked No. 1 among punters, and Beau Gardner is No. 3 among long snappers.