Georgia junior offensive tackle Andrew Thomas, a potential top 10 pick, will enter the 2020 NFL Draft, he announced Tuesday.
He added that he will not play when the No. 5 Bulldogs play No. 7 Baylor in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.
“My time in Athens has shaped me into the man I am today and it was a privilege to play between the hedges on Saturday,” he wrote on social media. “Since I was a kid, I’ve dreamed of playing in the National Football League. Today, I’m taking a step to turn that dream into a reality.”
ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay, in his first mock draft released Monday night, has Thomas as the first offensive lineman off the board, going No. 7 to the New York Jets. Thomas is projected to go fourth on a mock draft on CBSSports.com.
Thomas has picked up numerous postseason honors, including being selected a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, Sporting News and Walter Camp Football Foundation.
He started all 41 games in which he played at Georgia, including 15 at right tackle as a true freshman in 2017, before moving to the left side.
Georgia also will need to replace its right tackle for the Sugar Bowl, as redshirt sophomore Isaiah Wilson announced later Tuesday that he would enter the draft. He was selected to the AP’s second-team All-ACC team this season.
