NFL Draft Player Profile: James DeLoach

The next Dawg we are highlighting ahead of Thursday’s NFL Draft is defensive tackle James DeLoach.  DeLoach came to Athens out of Jenkins County.  He was labeled as a three-star prospect, the #37 defensive end prospect nationally and the #46 prospect in the state.

As a freshman, he played in 13 games and looked like he could be a solid contributor moving forward.  However, injuries and the infamous "illegal check cashing" incident derailed his sophomore and junior seasons, as he only saw game action in 12 games combined.

DeLoach didn’t let the illegal check cashing define his tenure in Athens, as he became the only player involved in the incident to finish his career at Georgia.  DeLoach finished his senior season with 23 tackles, 3.5 TFL, and was awarded one of the team’s Most Improved Player awards.

Despite the turnaround, DeLoach is unlikely to be selected in the upcoming NFL Draft.  His Pro Day stats didn’t help his cause, as he posted a 5.01 40-yard dash and put up 18 bench reps at 225 lbs.

Although he’s unlikely to hear his name called at the Draft, DeLoach should get a chance to prove himself at a rookie mini-camp.