The state of Georgia has seen it’s impact on the NFL playoffs grow exponentially in recent years, with many former Georgia high school football stars making huge impacts on the biggest stages of the NFL season.
This season’s playoffs have seen 55 former Georgia high school football players on active rosters of one of the 12 playoff teams. Injuries have kept a few notable players out of the playoffs, like Eric Stokes (Eastside-graduate), Deshaun Watson (Gainesville-graduate), and Nick Chubb (Cedartown-graduate) who missed the playoffs after suffering season-ending injuries and being placed on injured reserve previously in the season.
Quarterback is one of the few positions that has no current starters in the playoffs, with Deshaun Watson having season-ending shoulder surgery in Week 10, sidelining him for the rest of the season. However, former Greater Atlanta Christian quarterback Davis Mills is the backup for the Texans, supporting probable Rookie of the Year recipient CJ Stroud in his breakout rookie season.
At running back, injuries ended Georgia’s top running back alum and former All-Pro selection Nick Chubb’s season after less than two games. The only running back featured in the playoffs is Houston’s Dameon Pierce (Bainbridge-graduate), who has been a complimentary piece in the Texans’ run game alongside veteran back Devin Singletary.
The tight end position has four players from the state in the playoffs. The Browns have two of them, with Jordan Akins (Union Grove-graduate) producing as a run blocker while former John Milledge Academy star Harrison Bryant had a career day, catching four passes for a career-high 65 yards during Cleveland’s game against the Texans. Connor Heyward (Peachtree Ridge-graduate), the H-tight end for the Steelers, caught one pass for five yards on Monday against the Bills while former Rabun County star Charlie Woerner has a bye as the 49ers prepare to host the Packers in the divisional round.
Georgia has produced more wide receivers featured in this year’s playoffs than any other offensive position. The seven wide receivers caught a combined 15 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown through the first round of the playoffs, led by Michael Gallup (Monroe Area-graduate) and six time All-Pro selection Tyreek Hill (Coffee-graduate), who combined for 165 yards and a touchdown on 11 catches. These players highlight the explosive weapons the state has produced in recent years. Other players of note include Kalif Raymond (GAC-graduate, currently on the Lions), Demarcus Robinson (Peach County-graduate, currently on the Rams), Mecole Hardman (Elbert County-graduate, currently on the Chiefs), Rashod Bateman (Tift County-graduate, currently on the Ravens) and Chris Conley (North Paulding-graduate, currently on the 49ers).
The offensive line has six players from Georgia in the playoffs. The most notable is the Steelers’ rookie first-round pick Broderick Jones (Lithonia-graduate), who made his first-ever playoff start against the Bills on Monday. Other major linemen include McEachern alum Chuma Edoga, who played a rotational role for the Cowboys, and Stephens County’s Ben Cleveland, who had a bye as the Ravens prepared to play the Texans after earning the one seed in the AFC. The other offensive linemen in the playoffs are Wanya Morris (Grayson-graduate, currently on the Chiefs), Leroy Watson (Shiloh-graduate, currently on the Browns) and Tremayne Anchrum (McEachern-graduate, currently on the Rams).
The defensive side of the ball shows much of the state’s high-end talent in this year’s playoffs, with 30 of the 55 total Georgia products in the playoffs. These players have totaled 75 tackles, four tackles for loss, half a sack, an interception and five pass deflections.
The defensive line has had a major impact on the games of the Wild Card round. The nine total players totaled 13 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a pass deflection. Future Hall of Famer and former Peachtree Ridge Lions, Cameron Heyward, was the most impactful of the defensive linemen. Heyward totaled six tackles and a tackle for loss in the Steelers’ game against the Bills. The other seven players are Sheldon Rankins (Eastside-graduate, currently on the Texans), Montravius Adams (Dooly County-graduate, currently on the Steelers), Dalvin Tomlinson (Henry County-graduate currently on the Browns), Jonathan Greenard (Hiram-graduate, currently on the Texans), Devonte Wyatt (Towers-graduate, currently on the Packers), Preston Smith (Stephenson-graduate, currently on the Packers), Bradley Chubb (Hillgrove-graduate, currently on the Dolphins) and Malik Herring (Mary Persons-graduate, currently on the Chiefs).
The linebackers showed a high level of versatility throughout Super Wild Card Weekend, totaling 36 tackles and two sacks. However, two of the 11 players really stood out with massive games. Rams linebacker Ernest Jones IV (Ware County-graduate) went off for nine tackles and two sacks giving Los Angeles a chance to win the game late in the close loss to Detroit. In Dallas, Packers linebacker Quay Walker (Crisp County-graduate) went wild, making 11 tackles in Green Bay’s upset-win over the second-seeded Cowboys. Other notable linebackers include Leonard Floyd (Dodge County-graduate, currently on the Bills), Nolan Smith (Calvary Day-graduate, currently on the Eagles), Justin Houston (Statesboro-graduate, currently on the Dolphins), Cam Gill (Chapel Hill-graduate, currently on the Buccaneers), Kingsley Enagbare (Hapeville Charter-graduate, currently on the Packers), Neville Hewitt (Rockdale County-graduate, currently on the Texans), Roquan Smith (Macon County-graduate, currently on the Ravens), Mark Robinson (Lee County-graduate, currently on the Steelers) and Baylon Spector (Calhoun-graduate, currently on the Bills).
The cornerback position has proven itself as one of the positions the state develops the best. The seven players in the playoffs have been very successful, accumulating 23 tackles, a tackle for loss, three pass deflections, and a pick-six. Steven Nelson (Northside-Warner Robins-graduate), who stood out amongst all other players, made five tackles, three pass deflections, and had an 82-yard pick-six en route to the Texans’ first playoff win since 2019. The six other cornerbacks in the playoffs are Darius Slay (Brunswick-graduate, currently on the Eagles), Cameron Sutton (Jonesboro-graduate, currently on the Lions), Duke Shelley (Tucker-graduate, currently on the Rams), Rock Ya-Sin (Southwest DeKalb-graduate, currently on the Ravens), Kindle Vildor (North Clayton-graduate, currently on the Lions) and Jaylen Watson (Laney-graduate, currently on the Chiefs).
The best of the Georgia safeties was not in action during Super Wild Card Weekend, but D’Anthony Bell (Alcovy-graduate) of the Browns and Tracy Walker (Brunswick-graduate) of the Lions combined for three tackles. Former Marist star Kyle Hamilton had a week off as the Ravens prepare for their game against the Texans. Hamilton is coming off his first Pro Bowl season and was named First-Team All-Pro.
The state’s specialists make up a surprisingly high number of the top specialists in the league. The state has produced punters Sam Martin (Starr’s Mill-graduate) and Jake Camarda (Norcross-graduate), who combined to make six punts averaging 44.67 yards per punt, with five-of-the-six landing inside the 20-yard line. Former Westminster and Georgia Tech kicker Harrison Butker proved to be a major weapon in the Chiefs’ subzero win over the Dolphins, making all four of his field goal attempts and both of his extra points as a major part of a game where points were hard to come by. Two of the 12 long snappers in the playoffs played their high school football at Buford. Brothers Reid and Blake Ferguson, who play for the Bills and Dolphins, respectively, have been two of the most consistent long snappers in the league.
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