On Thursday night, Deandre Baker became UGA's first-ever recipient of the Jim Thorpe Award, bestowed annually to the best defensive back in college football.
Baker, likely the best playmaker on Georgia's defense, certainly deserved the Thorpe award (beating out LSU's Greedy Williams, Notre Dame's Julian Love), even though opposing quarterbacks avoided him for long stretches this season.
That prominence/fear factor should translate well to the pros, with Baker serving as a near-lock for Round 1 with next April's NFL draft, perhaps cracking into the top 10 overall.
Here are the updated NFL projections for Baker, citing various mock drafts:
DraftSite.com: 7th overall (Buccaneers)
CBS Sports: 8th overall
The Sporting News: 12th overall (Buccaneers)
WalterFootball.com: 12th overall (Buccaneers)
NBC Sports Washington: 14th overall (Falcons)
Pro Football Focus: 16th overall (Colts)
DraftTek.com: 26th overall (Steelers)
Here's a capsule look at the 10 previous winners of the Thorpe Award, relative to their subsequent success (or lack thereof) at the NFL level:
2008
WINNER: Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
DRAFT: 1st round (14th overall ... Saints ... 2009)
CAREER STATS: 17 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries, 751 tackles
NFL LEGACY: Two-time Pro Bowler ... Two-time world champion (Saints, Eagles) ... Solid NFL contributor for 10 years
2009
WINNER: Eric Berry, Tennessee
DRAFT: 1st round (5th overall ... Chiefs ... 2010)
CAREER STATS: 4 fumble recoveries, 5 pick-sixes, 14 INTs, 437 tackles
NFL LEGACY: Three-time All-Pro ... 5-time Pro Bowler ... One of the NFL's greatest 'impact' safeties, when healthy
2010
WINNER: Patrick Peterson, LSU
DRAFT: 1st round (5th overall ... Cardinals ... 2011)
CAREER STATS: 1 pick-six, 4 return TDs, 23 INTs, 76 pass deflections
NFL LEGACY: Three-time All-Pro ... 7-time Pro Bowler ... generally regarded as one of the NFL's best shutdown cornerbacks
2011
WINNER: Morris Claiborne, LSU
DRAFT: 1st round (6th overall ... Cowboys ... 2012)
CAREER STATS: 1 pick-six, 1 fumble-return TD, 7 INTs, 48 pass deflections
NFL LEGACY: Solid NFL contributor for seven seasons ... Started 70 of 74 career games
2012
WINNER: Johnathan Banks, Mississippi State
DRAFT: Not drafted
NFL LEGACY: None
2013
WINNER: Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State
DRAFT: 1st round (24th overall ... Bengals ... 2014)
CAREER STATS: 1 fumble, 1 pick-six, 3 INTs, 13 pass deflections, 202 tackles
NFL LEGACY: Dennard has not reached the expectations typically reserved for first-round selections. That said, he's been an adequate performer in the Bengals secondary.
2014
WINNER: Gerod Holliman, Louisville
DRAFT: 7th round (239th overall ... Steelers ... 2015)
NFL LEGACY: None
2015
WINNER: Desmond King, Iowa
DRAFT: 5th round (151st overall ... Chargers ... 2016)
CAREER STATS: 1 punt-return TD, 2 pick-sixes, 4 INTs, 14 pass deflections
NFL LEGACY: One of the great hidden gems of the 2016 draft, outperforming the vast majority of defensive backs selected in Rounds 1-4.
2016
WINNER: Adoree' Jackson, USC
DRAFT: 1st round (18th overall ... Titans ... 2017)
NFL LEGACY: Primarily a punt/kick returner ... one of the league's fastest players
2017
WINNER: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama
DRAFT: 1st round (11th overall ... Dolphins ... 2018)
SEASONAL STATS: 1 interception, 7 pass deflections, 60 tackles