Five former Georgia players were taken in the NFL Draft over the weekend, some later than expected and some earlier than projected.

RENNIE CURRAN

Linebacker Rennie Curran, a fan favorite during his time at Georgia, was the first Bulldog taken, going in the third round to the Tennessee Titans with the 97th selection overall. The selection was slightly earlier than Curran was projected by some to be picked, but proved that he made the correct decision in leaving after his junior season as he wouldn’t have been able to improve on his height, which ultimately kept him from being a higher selection.

Defensive tackle Geno Atkins became the next Bulldog off the board as the Cincinnati Bengals, a team Atkins didn’t work out for, were impressed enough by his Senior Bowl outing to take Atkins off the board in the fourth round with the 120th pick overall. Atkins was the first Georgia player taken by the Bengals since they drafted Odell Thurman and David Pollack – whose careers were beset by off-the-field issues and injuries, respectively – in the 2005 Draft.

Safety Reshad Jones, who entered the Draft after his redshirt junior season, expected to be taken in the 2nd or 3rd round but slid down draft boards until the Miami Dolphins finally picked him up in the fifth round with the 163rd pick overall.

Then in the seventh round, two more Georgia defensive tackles were taken when Jeff Owens and Kade Weston were snatched off the board. Owens was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 243rd overall pick, sliding down farther than expected due to lingering concerns over the torn ACL he suffered in the 2008 season. Weston became the third Georgia defensive tackle taken in this draft when the New England Patriots snatched him up, looking to plug Weston into the nose tackle position in their 3-4 defensive scheme.

Following the draft, three other Bulldogs were ensured their shot at the NFL, signing on as undrafted free agents with teams. Wide receiver Michael Moore will be once again catching passes from his former quarterback Matthew Stafford, signing on with the Detroit Lions. Safety Bryan Evans inked a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, and cornerback Prince Miller was picked up by the Baltimore Ravens.

The five Georgia players drafted was one less than the 2009 Draft, but is one more than the 2008 or 2007 Draft.