2024 NFL Draft Summer Spotlight: Georgia S Javon Bullard

Our 2024 NFL Draft Summer Spotlight series has been on a tear of introducing 2024 draft-eligible safeties to the conversation, of which the Buffalo Bills scouting staff may be evaluating before the upcoming 2023 college football season. We’re not quite done yet with that position as we continue to cycle through players you need to know this summer ahead of indulging in the college football landscape during your Saturday afternoons.

The Georgia Bulldogs have boosted their stock to the pinnacle of college football in recent years thanks in part to a massive amount of defensive players who ended up as NFL draft picks. The Bulldogs are loaded again in 2023, and true junior safety Javon Bullard is well-positioned to be a defensive back off that defense drafted in 2024.

We continue to push this position as it’s clearly a future group in need for the Bills and a prime spot to be drafted next year. Bullard is a player who came on strong to end 2022 and capped his sophomore campaign with two interceptions against TCU in the College Football Playoff National Championship game.

It’s early in the process, but I needed to dive into the film to see if Bullard has the goods to be an early draft selection next April. I watched two games of Bullard’s 2022 film — Tennessee and Ohio State. Check out the scouting report below to see where Bullard’s strengths lie and if he’s a true fit for the Bills in next year’s draft.

Javon Bullard Scouting Report

On a roster full of blue-chip recruits, a former three-star recruit in Bullard has cemented himself as one of Georgia’s key defensive cogs despite only two years within the program. He won the defensive MVP of the National Championship Game and is en route to be an NFL Draft pick in 2024. Bullard looks to be a college football darling entering this year as a smaller defensive back who punches way above his weight class on a dominant defense. Bullard is twitchy in the short areas and served as Georgia’s utility belt in 2022. His role looks to be increasing even more entering next season as potentially the best nickel in college football.

Positives

• Tenacious and fearless come to mind when you watch him on the football field; easy to fall in love with
• Patient and smart in his attack in coverage as he was entrusted to cover the slot often in isolated situations; bump-and-stick stands out as he uses physicality to keep sticky in coverage
• Very strong as a blitzer curling the edge and avoiding chips in a relentless pursuit to the ball carrier or passer
• Looks twitchy in short areas as he’s able to latch on and run with receivers on choice routes in isolation; good break on the football when playing off coverage
• Natural puzzle piece fit at nickel with some length despite lack of overall size and stature
• Flashes nastiness as a tackler who finishes, and playing through body of the receiver

Negatives

• Rail-thin frame (5’11”, 180 pounds) could limit him to a slot-only role at the next level despite a play style that represents someone who could have versatility
• Takes some bad angles when pursuing north-south in run support and gets way too antsy to get into the play
• Grabbiness is a blessing and a curse as he will draw flags for how much he’s looking to jam up slot receivers and tight ends within five yards
• Wonder some about deep speed; Looks more explosive than fast at times and trailed elite receivers vertically on some reps
• Needs to run his feet in the intermediate areas of the field instead of relying on a legal bump within five-yard threshold
• Would like to see him align more at safety in 2023 to show off whether he has versatility to play multitude of spots at next level

Why Javon Bullard Fits the Bills

The Buffalo Bills don’t need a nickel cornerback early in the NFL Draft with veteran Taron Johnson proving to be one of the best in the game at the position. But Bullard is a fit for any team due to the relentless energy and attitude he would instantly bring to an NFL locker room. If Bullard reps more at safety this year than nickel, it’s possible he becomes an even more realistic fit for the Bills. It’s hard to imagine Bullard as a Round 1 player due to his size, but if he reps more often (and well) at safety in 2023, Bullard should be firmly on the Bills’ radar entering next year’s draft.