Georgia Linebacker Chris Cole Flies Around the Field

Speed.

That’s the thing that stood out most about Georgia linebacker Chris Cole.

They lined him up here.

They lined him up there.

In 2025⎯Per Pro Football Focus (PFF), Cole’s snap count at the following positions while playing in Georgia’s defensive rotation:

247 snaps in the box at linebacker

115 snaps along the defensive line

50 snaps in the slot

11 snaps at corner

No question⎯

Cole offers unique game-planning versatility.

How did he look as a pass rusher?

Cole can bend the edge.

He can get to the backdoor of the pocket in a hurry.

From there⎯

Cole has the necessary athleticism, power, and short-area acceleration to turn the corner and pressure the quarterback.

Just pressure?

Well…

He was more of a pressure guy than a sack guy on his 2025 tape.

Per PFF:

• 4 sacks
• 12 hurries
• 2 hits

How about his pass rush moves?

• Head fake (3x)
• Slap-and-go (2x)
• Spin (1x)

That’s it?

Yeah. His pass-rushing toolbox is limited.

It was just a lot of plain ol’ straight-line vanilla-looking pass rushing attempts. Occasionally, he blitzed from the interior and tried to shoot the gaps. However, if he encountered a block, he was toast.

How ’bout against the run?

I liked Cole in this department.

Solid productivity.

Per PFF (2025):

• 38 tackles (12 assists)

He had one BIG inconsistency.

What was it?

Shedding blocks.

Sometimes he was able to, and sometimes he wasn’t.

What stood out the most about Cole playing the run?

• His tendency to move inward and attack the line of scrimmage instead of waiting for running backs to come to him.

I liked that.

How did he look in pass coverage?

Cole was better in man-to-man pass coverage than zone (man coverage is when a defender is assigned a specific offensive skill position player to cover, and zone is when defenders are assigned certain areas of the field to cover).

How come?

Cole could run with anybody they matched him up with. I even saw him in deep coverage once. He provided pretty tight-looking coverage in man.

However, in zone, he tended to be a little late reacting to the play flow.

Per PFF⎯

• 21 targets
• 17 receptions
• 81.0% reception percentage

Okay, so what’s the best thing Cole brings to a defense?

His range.

He can get sideline-to-sideline and chase down players who have the ball in their hand. Having Cole out there cuts down on explosives (big plays by opponents).

That’s important in the NFL because there are so many close games.

Per Cards Wire USA Today during the 2025 regular season, “After seven weeks, there have been 108 NFL games with 59 (54.6 percent) decided by one score, 30 (27.8 percent) decided by three points or fewer and 76 (70.4 percent) that have been one-score games at some point in the fourth quarter.”

Cause for optimism

Down the stretch⎯

I noticed one play where he didn’t hesitate in zone pass coverage. He also looked better at shedding run blocks.

Cole showed me just enough to put his valuation between picks 20-32.

I like the direction he’s trending on his game film.

#9 Chris Cole 6-foot-3, 235 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2026 Fall Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First-Round prospect as of November 4, 2026

2025 game film evaluated: Marshall, Austin Peay, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida, Mississippi State, Texas, Charlotte, Georgia Tech, Alabama, and Ole Miss (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2027 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Piranha linebacker. Brings presence. Strong and toned build. Long arms. Physical. Electric movements. Fluid. Looks springy off the edge. One “X” stunt. Excellent second effort. Average football IQ. Lacks instincts. Needs to see it first. Bites on misdirection, but has what it takes to make up the difference. Susceptible to being juked. Missed some tackles. Occasionally takes a bad angle to the ball. Good at playing spy role.

What to watch for during the 2026 college football season

1. Slow to react to pass plays in zone coverage?

2. Biting on play misdirection?

3. Missing tackles?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as appearing as a guest on ESPN Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and Fearless with Jason Whitlock. Featured in USA Today. For more information, visit whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.