Tag: Ventrell Miller

Buffalo Bills sign Florida OT Richard Gouraige as UDFA

The Buffalo Bills like bringing in former Florida Gators, and offensive tackle Richard Gouraige is the latest to join the team as an undrafted free agent.

After the draft concluded on Sunday, undrafted players were free to sign with NFL teams, and former Florida offensive tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] agreed to terms with the Buffalo Bills.

Gouraige will join one of his fellow former Florida offensive linemen in Buffalo as the Bills drafted offensive guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] in the second round. They also picked wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] in the fifth round and have cornerback [autotag]Kaiir Elam[/autotag] from the 2022 draft.

The Bills seem to prefer bringing in former Gators, and Gouraige was signed within an hour of the draft wrapping up. There’s no guarantee he makes the team next season, but it’s a good sign that the Bills were so quick to bring him in.

He spent five years with Florida, starting 42 games for the Gators, mostly at left tackle. He could end up moving back to the interior in the pros, which makes sense given his high run-blocking grades.

Gouraige was the first undrafted free agent off the board for Florida after six selections in the 2023 draft.

The Indianapolis Colts selected quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] with the fourth overall pick. Defensive lineman [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. (Chicago) and Torrence came off the board in the second round. Linebackers [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] (Jacksonville) and [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] (Las Vegas) went in the fourth and sixth rounds, respectively.

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One play from each draftee that shows what they bring to the Jaguars

What do the newest members of the Jaguars bring to the table? These plays offer a glimpse:

It obviously takes a lot more than one play to evaluate a football player. But sometimes one highlight is all it takes to see the size, speed, strength, athleticism, and skills that someone brings to the field.

In the 2023 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars added 13 new players to their roster. While some — like former Auburn running back Tank Bigsby and Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller — might be familiar to Jaguars fans, others are new names and faces.

So what do the new members of the Jaguars bring to the table? Here’s one highlight from each draftee that shows what Jacksonville hopes it’s going to get:

5 things to know about new Jaguars LB Ventrell Miller

Get to know the Jaguars’ new linebacker Ventrell Miller.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t have much of a need at linebacker entering the 2023 NFL draft after adding Foye Oluokun, Devin Lloyd, and Chad Muma last offseason.

But when the Jaguars went on the clock for the first of three fourth-round picks, they looked to the hometown school and added Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller.

So who’s the new Gators representative on the Jaguars roster? Here are five things to know about Miller:

Las Vegas Raiders select LB Amari Burney in 6th round of 2023 NFL draft

Amari Burney is headed to Las Vegas! The former Florida linebacker was selected by the Raiders with 203rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Sunday.

The Las Vegas Raiders have drafted former Florida linebacker [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] with the 203rd overall pick in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Burney began his career as a defensive back at Florida. He played both safety and the STAR position for a bit but switched to linebacker as an upperclassman.. A notable NFL combine snub, Burney’s Pro Day performance and 2022 tape was enough for the Raiders to take a chance on him.

He finished his super-senior season with 79 tackles, nine tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He played over 2,500 snaps for Florida throughout his five years with the Gators.

The biggest moment of Burney’s Gator career came in the home opener against Utah. He made a diving interception with less than a minute remaining on the clock to secure the win.

Florida has now had six players selected in the 2023 NFL draft. Quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] came off the board first at pick No. 4 overall to Indianapolis, and [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. (Chicago) and O’Cyrus Torrence (Buffalo) were Day 2 selections.

[autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] was the first player selected on Saturday at No. 121 overall to Jacksonville, which means both of Florida’s starting middle linebackers have been drafted. Wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] is also headed to Buffalo after being the Bills’ fifth-round pick.

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Buffalo Bills select Justin Shorter in 5th round of 2023 NFL draft

Justin Shorter is headed to Buffalo! The former Gator will reunite with his Florida teammate O’Cyrus Torrence to play for the Bills after being drafted in the fifth round.

The Buffalo Bills drafted wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] with the 150th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Shorter is the second Florida Gator selected by Buffalo in this draft after the Bills used their second-round pick to draft offensive lineman [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag]. They also took cornerback [autotag]Kaiir Elam[/autotag] in the first round of last year’s draft.

The former Florida receiver will join a wide receiver room that features some of the nation’s best. Stefon Diggs is the No. 1 pass catcher on the team and former UCF receiver Gabe Davis is a strong second option for Josh Allen, who is one of the top quarterbacks in the league.

Shorter joined the Gators as a transfer in 2020 after spending two years with Penn State. Once [autotag]Kadarius Toney[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyle Pitts[/autotag] moved on from the program, he stepped into a starting and more prominent role with the team.

In his final year of collegiate play, Shorter hauled in 29 receptions for 577 yards and two touchdowns. He start all nine games he played in while healthy. He finished with 1,395 career receiving yards and eight touchdowns over 34 games.

Florida has now had five players selected in the 2023 NFL draft. Quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] came off the board first at pick No. 4 overall to Indianapolis, and [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. (Chicago) and O’Cyrus Torrence (Buffalo) were Day 2 selections. [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] was the first player selected on Saturday at No. 121 overall to Jacksonville.

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Jacksonville Jaguars select LB Ventrell Miller in 4th Round

This sixth-year senior finally heard his name called after years of tears and toil.

Former Florida linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 121 pick in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft on Saturday. The 6-foot, 221-pound defender is the fourth Gator selected in the draft so far, joining quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag], defensive lineman [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag] and offensive lineman [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag], respectively.

The sixth-year senior earned his bachelor’s degree in Family, Youth and Community Sciences in the Fall of 2022 to wrap up a solid but injury-marred collegiate career with the Orange and Blue. Miller was suspended during his freshman year in 2017 but managed to become a significant presence on the field from 2018-20. The injury bug struck in 2021 limiting him to just two games but he returned for 11 matchups in 2022.

The Lakeland, Florida, product amassed 238 total tackles (124 solo, 114 assisted) while logging 7.5 sacks, a pair of forced and recovered fumbles, and an interception over 43 games played for the Gators. The last time the Jaguars selected a Florida product in the draft was in 2020 when they selected cornerback [autotag]CJ Henderson[/autotag] with the ninth pick overall in the first round.

The final day of the NFL draft continues on Saturday afternoon starting and can be followed on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network.

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Jaguars draft Florida LB Ventrell Miller with No. 121 pick

The Jaguars finally added to their defense by picking Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller.

The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller with the No. 121 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Miller recently visited TIAA Bank Field ahead of the draft.

Miller, 24, is a 6’0, 232-pound linebacker who spent six years at Florida after sitting out his freshman year due to a suspension and most of the 2021 season due to an injury.

On the field, Miller was credited with 240 career tackles, 7.5 sacks, one interceptions, and two forced fumbles. He was twice named SEC Defensive Player of the Week during the 2020 season and was on the SEC academic honor roll twice.

Last year, the Jaguars signed linebacker Foye Oluokun in free agency and drafted Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma in rounds one and three, respectively, during the 2022 NFL draft.

The No. 121 pick was the first of three owned by the Jaguars in the fourth round and the first of 10 in Day 3 of the 2023 NFL draft. Jacksonville is scheduled to pick again at No. 127 overall. Miller is the first defensive player picked by the team so far.

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Where Florida players stand on ESPN Mel Kiper’s final Big Board

It’s draft season and plenty of former Gators are hoping to hear their names called. Here’s where ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks them just days before the big event.

The 2023 NFL draft is almost ready to begin, and that means draft analysts are locking in their final projections and Big Boards ahead of the big day. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is one of the most well-known analysts in the country and he published his final list on Tuesday.

Quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] leads the bunch at No. 7 overall, followed by offensive guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] at No. 61 and defensive tackle [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. at No. 103 overall. Richardson is ranked fourth among quarterbacks in the draft class, Torrence is ranked third among guards and Dexter is the No. 10 defensive tackle.

Kiper’s takes on Florida’s top prospects are interesting. Richardson has been projected to go as high as No. 1 overall, but Kiper sees his stock falling ever so slightly. Torrence has been considered the top guard in the draft for a while, so seeing him at No. 3 is also peculiar.

“Richardson is still very raw,” Kiper wrote. “His mechanics and footwork need a lot of work. He has accuracy issues on shorter throws that should be easier. And yet, the arm strength and the dual-threat ability are so intriguing that a team near the end of Round 1 absolutely could take him and let him develop.”

Plenty of other Gators made the positional rankings.

On offense, wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] is No. 43 in his position group, and  [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] is the 23rd-best offensive tackle. Defensively, linebackers [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] and [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] come in at Nos. 15 and 25, respectively.

Former Gator [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. was dismissed from he team but is still ranked No. 18 among outside linebackers. Finally, [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] are ranked Nos. 27 and 28, respectively, among safeties by Kiper.

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Five Gators taken in CBS Sports’ latest 7-round NFL mock draft

Five Gators get the call in this full seven-round mock draft from CBS Sports.

The 88th edition of the 2023 NFL draft kicks off on April 27 and runs until April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri, which means the hyped-up spring event is quickly drawing near. The annual amateur draft festivities are among the most-followed storylines at the end of the month, culminating in the start of 259 professional football careers.

Given the fanfare that surrounds the league’s long-running tradition, the sports media has been frothing at the mouth with its respective mock drafts — including CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards, who unveiled his full seven-round projections for every pick in the draft on Friday. Among those selected were five former Florida Gators who look to represent the Orange and Blue at the next level.

The first Gator off Edwards’ board is standout quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag], who is selected at No. 5 overall by the Seattle Seahawks. Here is what Edwards had to offer on the Gainesville native’s draft prospects.

Seattle restarts the financial clock at quarterback with the selection of Anthony Richardson. He is afforded the time to grow and develop as a professional under the guidance of Geno Smith before being inserted into the starting role.

The second Florida alumnus selected is offensive lineman [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag], who is taken with the No. 19 pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Get a gander at Edwards’ take on the bruiser from the bayou.

Tampa Bay invested in its offensive line for years but the unit needs some attention after the past few offseasons. The Buccaneers have at least two long-term pieces to build around with Tristan Wirfs and now O’Cyrus Torrence.

Next up is defensive lineman [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag], who gets the call in the second round at No. 63 by the Kansas City Chiefs, followed by offensive lineman [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] in the sixth round at No. 189 overall to the Los Angeles Rams. Lastly, there is talented but oft-injured linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] who goes a few spots later to the New England Patriots at No. 192.

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15 late-round prospects Broncos could target in 2023 NFL draft

Here’s a quick look at 15 late-round prospects the Broncos could target in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Denver Broncos do not have first- or second-round picks to use in the 2023 NFL draft, so in order to have a great class (barring a trade up), general manager George Paton will have to find gems in the mid and late rounds of the draft.

The Broncos currently have five draft picks: Nos. 67 and 68 overall in the third round, No. 108 in the fourth, No. 139 in the fifth and No. 195 in the sixth. Denver does not currently hold a pick in the seventh round, but the club might acquire additional picks through draft-day trades.

Paton has made six trades through his first two drafts with the Broncos, trading down four times. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him trade down again this year to add more picks.

Today, we’re taking a quick look at 15 prospects that Denver could target in the fifth, sixth and seventh (late rounds) of the 2023 NFL draft.