Position Preview: Georgia Bulldogs Edge Rushers Breakdown

If there is a pain point from Georgia’s defense a season ago, it’s a lack of something that Bulldog fans have gotten used to since Kirby Smart was hired as head coach – a relentless pass rush.

Georgia’s defense was good enough for the most part last year, but it was not elite. It was not overwhelmingly special. Sure, it was enough to get the job done, but not by the standards in place in Athens.

This is not to say that there is an expectation of talents like Nolan Smith, Nakobe Dean or Jalen Carter reincarnated, but there should be a presence of relentless effort to get after the opposing quarterback.

The bottom line is this – that ranking last in sacks cannot happen again for Georgia. And this year’s group of edge rushers will make or break that effort.

It’ll be a group that’s high on potential, but not yet proven. Nobody sums all of that up much more than Quintavius Johnson. He’s flashed some promise previously, and now he’s expected to step up as the primary pass-rush threat. In baseball terms, he’s a promising prospect who you expect to get better with more at-bats. For Johnson, that time to step up is now.

It’s a similar story when it comes to Gabe Harris, a starter a season ago after spot duty before that. Could he be one of those guys that develops over time thanks to this staff’s ability to make guys better? It would not be a shock if that happens.

But perhaps the most intriguing storyline to follow is that Chase Linton. When you hear of someone who was flipped from a school like Rutgers as Linton was, that does not move the needle – but that is not always the full story – Ladd McConkey, anyone? Linton’s rangy frame could be an x-factor matchup-wise when it comes to the pass rush, and that has been backed up with buzz around Linton coming away from spring practice.

For sure, you can expect inside linebackers such as Justin Williams and Chris Cole to play a part in the pass rush this fall. But if Georgia is to get back to what its used to on defense, it’ll fail or succeed with its edge rushers.

Go Dawgs!