It’s great to be back after a wonderful week aboard our DawgNation Cruise. It’s truly a pleasure to sail with so many fans who love the Dawgs and certainly know how to have a good time.
It was also a good week for Georgia. The Bulldogs put together another impressive collection of NFL draft picks, highlighted by left tackle Monroe Freeling being taken in the first round by the Carolina Panthers.
Elsewhere, it was a gutsy effort by the Diamond Dawgs to escape Ole Miss with a series win in baseball. It was UGA’s sixth series win in SEC play thus far this season.
I’ve also enjoyed seeing all the videos from fans who were lucky enough to attend the concert at Sanford Stadium on Saturday night. It looked like a ton of fun, and it was great to see Kirby Smart called on stage to banter with Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean.
Finally, congratulations are in order to a member of what I like to think of as my DawgNation Daily family. Jon Stinchcomb, a former Georgia All-American and regular contributor to our show, was named as the color analyst for the Bulldogs Radio Network on Friday. It couldn’t happen to a better guy!
Check out the rest of our coverage below.
Trivia time
How many Georgia players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Answer is at the bottom of the newsletter.
Cash Jones finds NFL home
Georgia running back Cash Jones didn’t hear his name called in the 2026 NFL draft, but he’s still going to get a crack at playing in the NFL.
Jordan Schultz reports that Jones signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent.
The Falcons also drafted Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch in the third round.
Jones was a multiyear contributor for Georgia, doing a little bit of everything during his time in Athens. He is from Brock, Texas, and began his career as a walk-on. He leaves the Georgia program as a two-time national champion and three-time SEC champion.
Jones played running back for Georgia, doing his best work as a pass catcher and run blocker. As a senior in 2025, Jones caught 20 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown. He had just 15 rushing yards on 13 carries for Georgia last season.
7 — Penn State, Oregon, Washington, Iowa, LSU, Oklahoma, Florida
Branch drafted by Atlanta Falcons
Branch spent just one season in Athens but it paid off tremendously for the wide receiver, as the Atlanta Falcons took him with the No. 79 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Branch brings proven production to go along with top-tier speed and acceleration. Georgia coaches and teammates raved about his work ethic when he arrived in Athens, fitting in seamlessly to a program that proudly isn’t for everyone. He is also an elite special teams player that will at least make an impact in that part of the game.
The knocks on Branch include his size, as he’s one of the smaller wide receivers in the draft. He also doesn’t have the longest arms, which leaves him with a smaller catch radius. At Georgia, he ran a screen on 25.4% of his routes, the most in the country. He also didn’t have a significant amount of explosive plays despite having top-notch speed.
Fans watch during the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (Jeff Roberson/AP)
Quote of the day
Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham on Georgia:
“What they’ve done and what they continue to do at Georgia, they’re always going to have really good football players. It’s cool that it’s right in our backyard, so we’re going to continue to build those relationships and foster those relationships there and look forward to scouting future Bulldogs in the future.”
Brett Thorson finds NFL home
Brett Thorson won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter, and now he’ll be playing in the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings signed Thorson as an undrafted free agent, according to a report from Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Thorson did suffer a knee injury that required surgery in December of 2024. Thorson missed the first game of the 2025 season but returned to play in Georgia’s final 13 games in 2025. He was named a first team All-American for his play last season.
