Florida football’s 2022 NFL draft and free agent tracker

Didn’t watch the draft or catch all of the undrafted free agent signings that relate to UF? Gators Wire has got you covered.

The 2022 NFL draft has come and gone and another crop of talent is headed to the pros from Gainesville. Three players heard their names called over as many days of the draft, but several more former Gators are finding deals as undrafted free agents.

There’s no guarantee that any of the recent signees make it on an opening day roster or even a practice squad for that matter, but it’s the opportunity most of these players have been working toward for most of their lives. Squandering this chance to fulfill the dream of being an NFL athlete is something they aim to avoid.

There could be more to come too. While names like linebacker [autotag]Jeremiah Moon[/autotag] and running back [autotag]Malik Davis[/autotag] are already locked up, players such as offensive lineman [autotag]Stewart Reese[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Rick Wells[/autotag] are still available.

With that said, let’s take a look at each member of the 2021 Florida Gators football team that currently finds himself with an NFL team.

Stewart Reese set to be the veteran of the offensive line in 2021

Reese will be a starter on the offensive line this year. The only question is where.

Name: Stewart Reese

Number: 51

Position: Offensive Line

Class: Graduate Student

Height: 6’6″

Weight: 345 lbs

Hometown: Ft. Pierce, Florida

High School: Ft. Pierce Central

Previous School: Mississippi State

2020 statistics:

Appeared and started in 11 games

Overview:

Originally a three-star prospect, Reese committed to Dan Mullen back when he was the coach at Mississippi State. He signed with the Bulldogs in 2016, and after redshirting his first year on campus, he started all 13 games at right tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2017. He was a major part of the MSU rushing offense, which ranked second in the SEC.

Mullen left to take the Florida job after that year, but Reese reprised his role at right tackle again for all 13 games of the 2018 season. Heading into his redshirt junior season in 2019, he projected to be one of the best and most experienced members of the line.

He started the first seven games at right tackle once again, but he was moved to right guard for the eighth game. He appeared in three more games that year but didn’t make any starts, and he decided to enter the transfer portal ahead of his fifth season.

As a graduate transfer, Reese landed with his former coach in Mullen and also joined his brother, David, who is a linebacker with the Gators. Reese became an immediate starter at right guard, appearing in 10 of 12 games in 2020.

Reese took advantage of the extra year of eligibility afforded to athletes due to COVID-19, and he’s expected to start once again in 2021, potentially taking the spot of departing center Brett Heggie. But according to reports, Kingsley Eguakun has seen a lot of looks at center. If he gets the starting nod, it would allow Reese to return to his spot at right guard.

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Six Florida players feeling the pressure as fall camp gets started

Here are six Florida players The Athletic believes face the most pressure this season.

Coach Dan Mullen and the Florida football team kicked off their fall camp Friday to prepare for the 2021 season. The Gators’ first game is versus FAU on Sept. 4 in the Swamp. Heading into the new season, Florida enters as a heavy underdog. Only seven out of the 134 voters at SEC Media Days picked the Orange and Blue to repeat as the East Division winner and only one pegged the program to become SEC Champions.

As fall camp kicked off Friday, there are a handful of players trying to cling to their starting spot or prove they deserve to be the No. 1 running back or wide receiver. Here are six players The Athletic believes are feeling the most pressure heading into fall camp.