Georgia Bulldogs leading the way for the NFL's biggest surprise

The Las Vegas Raiders have started 3-0 and are the NFL's biggest surprise to start the season after picking No. 1 in the 2026 NFL draft. The Raiders kept their winning streak going with a comeback 35-27 victory over the New Orleans Saints . Two former Georgia Bulldogs paved the way: tight end Brock Bowers and linebacker Nakobe Dean .

Bowers made his season debut after missing the first two games of the season with a meniscus injury. The two-time Pro Bowl tight end picked up right where he left off, nabbing 10 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown came with 6:22 left to go when the Raiders were up 28-27.

Dean might've made more of an impact. The former Butkus Award-winning linebacker signed with the Raiders in free agency, and he's paid off immediately. So far, he has 27 tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. He's forced a fumble in every game.

Against the Saints, Dean forced a fumble from Juwan Johnson on the Saints' final drive down 35-27, and it was recovered by Eric Stokes , who is also a former Georgia Bulldog.

The Raiders are one of four teams with at least five Georgia Bulldogs on their roster. Along with Bowers, Dean, and Stokes, they have defensive end Azeez Ojulari and linebacker Quay Walker . The Raiders join the Vikings (five), Bengals (five) and Eagles (six) in that regard. All four of these teams have winning records and were undefeated coming into Week 3, with the Raiders and Vikings still undefeated after Week 3.

Dean and Bowers are two of the most legendary Georgia players in school history. When Dean was at Georgia, he earned 168 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, eight pass breakups, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, and a fumble-return touchdown. Dean earned the 2021 Butkus Award and a unanimous All-American selection for garnering 72 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, six sacks, six PBUs, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a scoop-and-score against Florida. He also helped Georgia win a national championship in 2021.

Bowers was legendary throughout his career. Among all Georgia Bulldogs in history, he ranks No. 3 in receptions (175), No. 5 in yards (2,538), and No. 2 in touchdowns (26). He was an All-SEC team member every year of his three-year tenure with Georgia (2021-23), a second-team All-American in 2021, a first-team All-American in 2022, and a unanimous All-American in 2023. He won the John Mackey Award in 2022 and 2023, the only tight end to ever win the award twice. Oh yeah, and he also helped the Bulldogs win two national championships.

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