Could Orange Bowl dud hurt UM DE’s draft stock?? … That’s the question several correspondents have asked since Georgia’s impressive win over Michigan in last week’s CFP semi-final in which star Wolverines’ DEs Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo were pretty much shut down. The simple answer at this point is Who knows! We did speak with a couple of former pro scouts who cautioned that team’s seldom make these kinds of judgements based on just one game. Rather they’ll be looking at their overall season’s work which is still pretty impressive. The bigger issue for Hutchinson, who is getting plenty of props to be the first player selected this coming April, could be his combine performance, especially his 40-time and other speed test results. The feeling around the league appears to be that while Hutchinson is a good-enough athlete, there are some questions about his pure foot speed which is being projected in the 4.75-4.80 range, which is good, but not elite, although that is very much in the range of the Bosa’s and it has worked for them. On the other hand, the guys on our staff were really impressed by Georgia OTs Jamaree Salyer and Warren McClendon, who had the Michigan stars talking to themselves Friday in Miami. Salyer, a 6-4 senior, is a little short for an OT and could end up inside at the next level, but he’s feisty and moves really well for a 325-pounder. Meanwhile, McClendon is a redshirt sophomore who did not appear inclined to declare for the draft prior to the bowl, but could be tempted following his strong showing against Michigan. It certainly will be interesting watching them again in next Monday’s national championship game against Alabama to see how well they hold up against Tide edge rushers like Will Anderson, the DPOY in college football this season.
