UGA's 53-Man NFL Roster (Defense)

Here is the defensive side of my 53-man all University of Georgia products NFL roster. As mentioned before, I doubt there is an NFL GM that would not trade his talent on defense for this unit. It is sick how much talent I had to choose from for the front seven.

DL (10): 5 DE, 5 DT
Starters: DT Richard Seymour, DT Marcus Stroud, DE Phillip Daniels, DE David Pollack.
Reserves: DE Charles Grant, DE Robert Geathers, NT Jason Ferguson, DT Jonathan Sullivan, DE Demetric Evans, DT Kedric Golston.
The Skinny: This would be the best defensive line in the NFL. Seymour and Stroud are perennial Pro Bowlers and Ferguson is a stout run stopper. Sullivan would be the No. 4 DT. We would have a four-man rotation at DE. Pollack would play his natural position and thrive. Evans, who has been a key contributor throughout his NFL career, would never be on the 46-player game-day roster. Josh Mallard, a current member of the Atlanta Falcons, does not make this roster, nor does Nic Clemmons, who spent the last three years with the Washington Redskins before being cut this fall.

LB (7)
Starters: Will Witherspoon, Odell Thurman, Kendrell Bell
Reserves: Boss Bailey, Randall Godfrey, Tony Gilbert, Arnold Harrison
The Skinny: All of these players are on NFL rosters and the depth at the position enables us to move two starting NFL linebackers (David Pollack and Thomas Davis) to other positions. Essentially, the top five players would rotate who starts based on injuries. Witherspoon is the only sure starter and he can play any of the three spots. Thurman, who is currently suspended for four games, probably starts when eligible. We are lucky if we get 18 games between Bell and Bailey. Both have been hindered significantly by injuries and thus both have lost some athleticism. Godfrey remains a solid pro. If all are healthy, all five of these guys play and rotate. Chris Clemmons, who spent the last three years with the Redskins before getting cut this fall, does not make this team.

DB (8): 4 (S), 4 (CB)
Starters: S Jermaine Phillips, S Sean Jones, CB Champ Bailey, CB Tim Jennings)
Reserves: S Thomas Davis, S Greg Blue, CB DeMario Minter, CB Bruce Thornton
The Skinny: This unit lacks depth. Phillips and Jones are starters for their teams and quality all-purpose safeties. Davis now starts at linebacker for the Panthers after he was atrocious in pass coverage at safety last season. We are so deep at linebacker that we will keep him as a reserve safety, who plays a hybrid safety/linebacker in the dime. Jennings should be okay as the No. 2 CB, since we can always leave Champ in isolation. There is little depth, though. Minter is currently on the physically-unable to perform list, while Thornton was cut by the Jets this fall after spending most of the last two years with the Cowboys and 49ers. He has never fully regained his athleticism after a devastating knee injury as a rookie.

P: Jonathan Kilgo
The Skinny: Anyone know what Kilgo is doing these days? Well, he is starting for this team, because there is no one else until Gordon Ely-Kelso can send him back to his day job next year. I do not think Ely-Kelso makes an NFL roster, but he would be more qualified than Kilgo, who was a decent but not great college punter. Georgia has not had an NFL-caliber punter since Chris Carpenter in the mid-1980s and Carpenter instead chose a pro career in baseball. There is no position in Georgia history with less success than punter. Is Bobby Walden still alive? He might be near 65 now, but assuming he is living, Walden can still probably outpunt half the punters from the Ray Goff era.