Category: NFL Draft 2021

Here’s where Florida’s first-round picks stand after minicamp

How are Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney are developing in the NFL so far? Here’s ESPN’s take on the progress each has made.

The NFL’s mandatory minicamp has come and gone, meaning we’ve seen all we’re going to see of the 2021 rookies until players report back for the full fall camp on July 27. Still, we had several weeks of organized team activities and minicamps to gauge the progress of some of these players, and we’re starting to get an idea of who the early standouts are.

With that in mind, ESPN did some housekeeping on the development of each of the 32 first-round rookies post-minicamp. Two of those players — fourth-overall pick Kyle Pitts and 20th-overall pick Kadarius Toney — are former Gators.

The pair are both expected to have major impacts in revitalizing downtrodden offenses. The former is heading to Atlanta, which hasn’t been bad offensively but was forced to deal arguably the best player in franchise history in Julio Jones due to finances this offseason, while the latter hopes to aid in the development of third-year quarterback Daniel Jones with the Giants, which has been gradual to this point.

According to ESPN’s reporting, here’s where each of them currently stands.

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What will Kyle Pitts’ rookie stats look like? Here’s ESPN’s projection

ESPN thinks that former Florida tight end Kyle Pitts will be among the top-performing rookies in the NFL in 2021 in its early predictions.

The Atlanta Falcons invested quite a lot in former Florida tight end Kyle Pitts when they selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. That made him the highest-drafted tight end in the common era (dating to 1967), and naturally, he’s expected to make a major impact in Year 1 — especially with Julio Jones likely on his way out.

So how much production is it fair to expect from Pitts? In ESPN’s statistical predictions for the top rookies, he (unsurprisingly) projects to be among the best of them.

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In terms of receiving yards, Pitts is projected to finish with 780, fourth-most among rookies and behind just the three top receivers taken in Ja’Marr Chase, Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle. That number would have ranked him third among NFL tight ends in 2020.

Pitts’ projection would place him fifth all-time for a rookie tight end and give him the most receiving yards by a first-year player at the position since Evan Engram’s 722 yards in 2017. And while Bateman’s upside is limited by Baltimore‘s run-heavy scheme, he has a path to an every-down role opposite Marquise Brown.

Pitts had 770 yards in just eight games in 2020, an impressive figure by itself. But what’s even more impressive is how often he found the end zone: 12 times in total for an average of 1.5 per game. He should be a top target in the red zone for Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan just as he was for Kyle Trask, and that should result in a lot of scores for Pitts.

He’s projected to finish with six touchdowns from scrimmage in 2021, third among rookies behind Pittsburgh running back Najee Harris and the Bengals‘ Chase.

Six scores for Pitts may seem a pinch low, but that would tie for fourth among rookie tight ends since 2010, with Rob Gronkowski (10) the only one above eight.

If these numbers hold true for Pitts, he’d be among the league’s best tight ends as a rookie. Though that’s quite a lofty expectation, he has all the physical tools to be a superstar in the league.

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Bucs coach Arians raves over Trask’s performance at rookie minicamp

The Buccaneers head coach said that Kyle Trask is retaining the offensive concepts he’s being taught and looks good on the practice field.

Former Florida quarterback Kyle Trask likely won’t see much playing time as a rookie in 2021. The Heisman finalist was taken by Tampa Bay with the final pick of the second round, and he’s been tabbed as the heir-apparent to legendary quarterback Tom Brady, who many consider the greatest passer (if not the best player, overall) of all time.

Despite the fact that Brady will reach the ripe age of 44 before the regular season begins this fall, the seven-time Super Bowl champion is still pretty spry. Barring injury, there’s no reason Trask should see significant action in Year 1.

But that doesn’t mean he isn’t quickly impressing the Buccaneers coaching staff with what he brings to the table. Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians said that he’s coming along nicely at his post-camp press conference on Saturday.

“I thought he was great,” Arians said. “I thought he was fantastic. He’s got three guys coaching the [expletive] out of him on each play, so they need to calm down and let him go. I’m really pleased with where he’s at right now.”

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According to a report from Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Trask looked sharp on Saturday. His lone blemish on the afternoon came on a pick-six on an underthrown ball.

Stroud said that Trask made every throw on Saturday, and that aligns with what Arians said about the team’s strategy with Trask. He said the coaches are slowly giving him more of the offense to learn and he’s adjusting to the information well.

“I think he grasped it very well,” Arians said. “He was throwing the ball where it’s supposed to go. He had a couple drops on him, but I thought he looked really good. Just the way he processes information. He took it from the first time ever hearing it, and he was throwing it to the right guy. He was throwing against some really well-disguised coverages that he saw for the first day of his career. I was real impressed how he processed his information. He was very accurate.”

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to Gators fans to hear praise like this heaped on Trask. If there’s one thing he demonstrated during his Florida career, it’s that his accuracy and ability to learn an offense is on par with the best out there. If Trask can get comfortable with the speed and stylistic differences of the NFL, he has a chance to be very successful with the Buccaneers.

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Florida pitchers shut down Vandy in Game 3 to take series

Florida’s pitchers made all the difference in a Game 3 win over the Commodores as Florida took a 5-3 win on Sunday.

The Gators secured an absolutely monster series win on Sunday in a decisive Game 3 against No. 2 Vanderbilt, winning 5-3 behind strong performances from starting pitcher Hunter Barco and the rest of the bullpen.

Barco allowed a single to lead off the game but he quickly bounced back to escape the inning unharmed. Florida’s batters got to work at the bottom of the frame. Jacob Young led off with a single, and RBI base hits from Kris Armstrong and Kirby McMullen put a pair of runs on the board, though Vandy got a run back in the second with a solo home run to start the inning.

But Commodores starter Chris McElvaine continued to struggle. In the third, Sterlin Thompson hit a single that scored two runs. He was pulled after giving up a walk and a double to lead off the fourth, but his replacement, Patrick Reilly, couldn’t keep a run from coming across as a fielder’s choice from Young stretched the lead to 5-1.

Barco gave up two singles in the fifth that led to an RBI groundout to get Vandy a run back, and after a walk and fly out to start the sixth, Barco was pulled for Christian Scott, who allowed two singles and a run to score off a sac-fly.

A committee of Scott, Trey Van Der Weide and Jack Leftwich got through the seventh inning allowing two hits and no runs. Leftwich finished the game out, earning a save in the process as he allowed just one hit in the final two frames.

This series win bodes well for Florida’s chances at No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with just three SEC series to go. After a midweek home game against Stetson, UF will return to conference action next weekend in Lexington to take on Kentucky.

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Former Gators receiver Trevon Grimes signs with Eagles as UDFA

The former Gators receiver went undrafted this weekend, but he reached a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles as a UDFA.

It was quite a bit of a surprise when Florida receiver Trevon Grimes went unselected during this weekend’s 2021 NFL draft. A former five-star recruit who played two seasons at Florida after transferring from Ohio State, Grimes elected not to use his extra season of eligibility hoping to be a mid-round pick in the draft.

But now, the UF standout has landed on a roster, signing a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent. With the Eagles, he will be reunited with his former offensive coordinator in Brian Johnson, who is now Philly’s quarterback coach.

Grimes’ production was a bit limited as a senior despite Florida’s success in the passing game, as the play of guys like Kadarius Toney and Kyle Pitts overshadowed him a bit. Still, he finished the year with 589 yards and nine touchdowns.

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Philadelphia is a team that still could use some help at the receiver spot despite using a first-round pick on Alabama‘s Devonta Smith. Grimes is a big-bodied receiver with good ball skills, and the Eagles could use someone like him.

Though making the roster as an undrafted guy is always an uphill battle, Grimes seems to have a pretty good chance.

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A look at the winners and losers among former Gators in the 2021 NFL draft

For some former Florida football players, the draft couldn’t have gone better. But for others, it was a very disappointing affair.

The 2021 NFL draft is fully in the books, and the months of reading mock drafts and attempting to predict the whims of fickle talent evaluators and executives have finally reached their close.

When the dust settled, Florida had eight players selected in the draft (its most since 2016). For some former UF athletes, the draft couldn’t have gone better. But for others, it was a major disappointment.

Let’s make something very clear right here: There is no one who woke up this morning on an NFL roster that is a “loser.” Whether you were an undrafted signing, a late-round pick or the first-overall pick, you’ve joined one of the most exclusive clubs on the planet.

But there’s more to the draft than just good feelings and the culmination of years of hard work. There’s a good amount of strategy and game theory involved, as well, and sometimes betting on yourself doesn’t pay off.

With that in mind, here are the winners and losers from the draft for Florida.

Cincinnati Bengals select kicker Evan McPherson with the 149th pick

Cincinnati was the first team to take a specialist in the draft, selecting Florida kicker Evan McPherson with the 149th pick.

Kicker Evan McPherson‘s bold decision to leave Florida after his junior season to enter the NFL draft paid off Saturday. The SEC’s all-time leader in field-goal percentage was drafted in the fifth round (No. 149) by the Cincinnati Bengals. He was the first specialist taken in the draft.

McPherson is coming off a slightly down 2020 season in which he missed five of his 22 attempts, but he still finished 51 of 60 on field-goal attempts for his career with only one miss on 150 extra-point attempts.

Though he was regarded almost universally as the top kicker in the draft, it was a bit of a question whether he would get selected. Regardless, he would have been a priority undrafted free-agent target.

Instead, he went off the board earlier than many expected. Most mock drafts predicted he would go in the sixth or seventh round. The Bengals land a new starting kicker in the fifth.

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Arizona Cardinals trade up to select Gators CB Marco Wilson at No. 136

Wilson was a tricky prospect to evaluate after he declared for the NFL draft because of the disparity between his skills and his traits.

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With the 136th pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the Arizona Cardinals selected cornerback Marco Wilson from the University of Florida.

Arizona traded up to acquire Wilson, sending the 160th pick in this draft and a fourth-round pick in next year’s class to ensure Wilson would be a Cardinal, while also tucking away an extra seventh-round pick this year.

Wilson was a tricky prospect to evaluate after he declared for the NFL draft because of the disparity between his skills and his traits. Physically, he has everything you’d want from a shutdown corner. He’s supremely fast and strong, meaning he’ll theoretically be able to stick with opposing burners or come downhill in run support.

However, his tape tells a different story. Wilson’s freshman year was his best in terms of on-field production and it slowly grew worse. He was one of the worst cornerbacks in the SEC in terms of coverage last season and put up some truly atrocious reps for the Gators as the season wound down.

From the standpoint of many fans, the door on Wilson’s career with Florida was slammed shut when he lashed out at an opposing player during the LSU game and threw the opponent’s dislodged shoe across the field. He regretted what happened and seemed to have learned a harsh lesson, but it certainly brings up maturity concerns.

This is a big swing on Arizona’s part. It is gambling they can get the best out of his jaw-dropping physicality and squash the undesirable parts of his game. It’s an immense risk, but the payoff could be just as impressive. The most likely outcome is somewhere closer to his floor than his ceiling, but it’s easy to see him becoming a lethal special teamer who gets downhill like a blur and pile-drives opposing players on kickoffs.

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These three Florida players could be drafted on Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft

Florida is sending a number of players to the professional ranks, so here’s the trio most likely to be picked in the second of third round.

The first round of the 2021 NFL draft was, as always, an absolutely wild ride. Normal draft day chaos was dialed up by a strange COVID-altered college season and several unexpected trades. With the first 32 picks in the books and the first day of action in the rearview mirror, the second wave of picks is set to be held on Friday evening.

Not as much attention is placed on Day 2 of the draft, but it’s just as unpredictable. For example, former Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney was anticipated to be drafted early on in the second round due to a deep class of pass-catchers coming out of college this year. However, he joined ex-Gator Kyle Pitts in the first round of picks, rendering the conversation of who could pick him on Friday totally moot.

Despite the headliners coming off the board on Thursday, some Florida alum will in the mix to be drafted in the second or third of the 2021 NFL draft. Let’s take a look at the three most likely to be picked.

Tracking former Florida football players taken in the 2021 NFL draft

UF has a long history of sending its alumni to the NFL being the only school in the SEC to have a player selected in every single NFL draft.

The 2021 National Football League draft is underway in Cleveland, Ohio, and the festivities are in full swing. Fans of both the NFL and college football will be riveted to their televisions and mobile devices over the next few days as the best the collegiate ranks have to offer find their way into the professional ranks.

The University of Florida has a long and proud history of sending its alumni to the highest level of the sport. It is the only school in the Southeastern Conference to have a player selected in every NFL draft in the common draft era (eat that, Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs!) and one of only four programs in the country to hold that distinguished accomplishment.

Clearly, without question, it has always been great to be a Florida Gator and the 2021 NFL draft will not be much different. One highly heralded player has a chance to make history while snapping an 11-year streak without an offensive skill player drafted in the first round.

Behind that player exists a cohort of highly talented players who are graduating from one of the most explosive offenses college football has seen, along with a few defensive players whose ceilings are likely higher than what was seen in Gainesville.

How to watch, listen and stream the 2021 NFL draft

So without further ado, here is a look at where former Florida Gators football players have been selected in the 2021 NFL draft. This list will be updated whenever another UF alumnus gets selected, so be sure to check back often!