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Georgia LB Roquan Smith joins other SEC underclassmen in turning pro

Monday is the deadline for underclassmen to declare their intentions about the 2018 NFL draft, and Georgia’s Roquan Smith — an All-American who won the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker — took his decision until the end, announcing Monday morning that he will bypass his senior season.

“The decision to leave is not easy but I know it is the right one,” Smith said in a statement released by the school.

Smith is seen as a first-round lock, with the only real question being whether he goes in the top 10 or between picks 11 and 20.