Hargreaves was the second SEC player chosen in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Hargreaves, Neal Taken in Top 20 of 2016 NFL Draft
Thursday, April 28, 2016 | Football
Vernon Hargreaves III and Keanu Neal are the second pair of SEC defensive backs from the same team taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since 1967
CHICAGO – Former Gators Vernon Hargreaves III and Keanu Neal were both selected in the top 20 of the opening round of Thursday night's 2016 NFL Draft, marking just the second time in Southeastern Conference history and the fourth time in collegiate history two defensive backs from the same team were both top-20 picks.
Hargreaves was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 11th overall pick in the draft, while the Atlanta Falcons chose Neal with the 17th overall pick.
Hargreaves and Neal were the 49th and 50th Gators in program history to be taken in the first round. Both joined Steve Tannen (1970) Joe Haden (2010) as the only UF defensive backs taken in the top 20 of the NFL Draft.
The 2010 NFL Draft was also the last time the Gators had multiple top-20 picks.
Hargreaves was the first Gator defensive back selected in the draft's opening round since the Baltimore Ravens chose Matt Elam with the 32nd overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft. Additionally, the Tampa, Fla. native was the first SEC defensive back taken in the top 15 since Dee Milliner was chosen by the New York Jets with the ninth overall pick in 2013.
"We're very excited with Vernon," Jason Licht, Tampa Bay's general manager, said in a press conference following the pick. "Vernon is a guy that we feel brings a lot of versatility to our defense. He can press, he can tackle, and he's very quick and athletic."
Neal, who hails from Bushnell, Fla., became the eighth defensive back in UF history selected in the NFL Draft's opening round.
"Great in-the-box guy … great tape," said ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. of Neal following Atlanta's selection. "You watch this kid, he is impressive. He's a pure football player, one of your grinders. On a scale of one to 10 character-wise, Keanu Neal is a 15. A lot of that allowed him to move up the board."
This marks just the third time in franchise history the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected a Gator in the first round of the NFL Draft. Neal is the first Gator ever chosen by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round.
All-Time UF Defensive Backs Selected in the First Round
Vernon Hargreaves III – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1st Round (No. 11 overall)
Hargreaves declared for the NFL Draft following his junior season after starting 13 games during UF's 2015 campaign. The Tampa, Fla. native was one of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, a consensus first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC selection, and a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award this past year. Hargreaves was also an Associated Press All-American in 2013 and 2014, in addition to being a three-time first-team All-SEC honoree.
Keanu Neal – Atlanta Falcons, 1st Round (No. 17 overall)
Neal declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season, which saw him play in 12 games and make 11 starts at safety. Despite missing the first two games due to injury, the Bushnell, Fla. product ranked third on the team with 96 total tackles, including a team-high 51 solo tackles. Neal played in a total of 34 games and made 19 starts for the UF secondary.
Hargreaves was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 11th overall pick in the draft, while the Atlanta Falcons chose Neal with the 17th overall pick.
Hargreaves and Neal were the 49th and 50th Gators in program history to be taken in the first round. Both joined Steve Tannen (1970) Joe Haden (2010) as the only UF defensive backs taken in the top 20 of the NFL Draft.
The 2010 NFL Draft was also the last time the Gators had multiple top-20 picks.
Hargreaves was the first Gator defensive back selected in the draft's opening round since the Baltimore Ravens chose Matt Elam with the 32nd overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft. Additionally, the Tampa, Fla. native was the first SEC defensive back taken in the top 15 since Dee Milliner was chosen by the New York Jets with the ninth overall pick in 2013.
"We're very excited with Vernon," Jason Licht, Tampa Bay's general manager, said in a press conference following the pick. "Vernon is a guy that we feel brings a lot of versatility to our defense. He can press, he can tackle, and he's very quick and athletic."
Neal, who hails from Bushnell, Fla., became the eighth defensive back in UF history selected in the NFL Draft's opening round.
"Great in-the-box guy … great tape," said ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. of Neal following Atlanta's selection. "You watch this kid, he is impressive. He's a pure football player, one of your grinders. On a scale of one to 10 character-wise, Keanu Neal is a 15. A lot of that allowed him to move up the board."
This marks just the third time in franchise history the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected a Gator in the first round of the NFL Draft. Neal is the first Gator ever chosen by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round.
All-Time UF Defensive Backs Selected in the First Round
- 7th overall, 2010: CB Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns
- 11th overall, 2016: DB Vernon Hargreaves III, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 17th overall, 2016: DB Keanu Neal, Atlanta Falcons
- 20th overall, 1970: DB Steve Tannen, New York Jets
- 21st overall, 2007: S Reggie Nelson, Jacksonville Jaguars
- 25th overall, 1989: DB Louis Oliver, Miami Dolphins
- 26th overall, 2002: DB Lito Sheppard, Philadelphia Eagles
- 32nd overall, 2013: DB Matt Elam, Baltimore Ravens
- Multiple Gators were chosen in the first round of the NFL Draft for the 13th time since 1967, which is four more times than any other SEC school during that span. Alabama is the next-closest with nine.
- The Gators' 48 first round picks since 1967 (start of the common draft era) are the most in the SEC and fourth-most by any team in college football.
- Florida's 50 all-time first round picks are the sixth-best total in the nation and second among SEC programs, trailing only Alabama (51).
- UF boasts 15 first round picks since 2007, the second-most in the country (Alabama, 18) during that span.
- Hargreaves and Neal join Alabama's Mark Barron and Dre Kirkpatrick (2012), Texas' Michael Griffin and Aaron Ross (2007), and USC's Ronnie Lott and Dennis Smith (1981) as the only other collegiate defensive backs from the same team who were both top-20 picks in the NFL Draft since the start of the common and modern draft eras (1967).
- Among SEC programs, Vernon Hargreaves III and Keanu Neal are the 14th pair of teammates from the same position group to both be selected in the first round.
- Hargreaves and Neal are the fourth pair of UF teammates from the same position group to be drafted in the first round, joining wide receivers Ike Hilliard and Reidel Anthony (1997), defensive linemen Kevin Carter and Ellis Johnson (1995), and running backs John L. Williams and Neal Anderson (1986).
- UF had two players selected in the first round for the third time in the last four years.
- The Gators have now had seven first round draft picks in the last four years.
- Florida has had a first round pick in nine of the last 10 years.
- At least one Florida player has been selected in every NFL Draft since 1952, the longest streak in SEC history.
- This is the fifth time since 2007 multiple SEC defensive backs have been chosen in the first round, with this being the fourth time during that span at least one of those selections was a UF defensive back.
- The SEC has had at least one top-10 draft pick for the 10th consecutive season and for the 23rd time in the last 24 NFL Drafts.
- Since 2009, Top 10 NFL picks by league: SEC (27); Big 12 (17); ACC (13); Pac-12 (12); B1G (5); MAC (2); AAC (1), BYU (1), FCS (1), Notre Dame (1)
- The SEC now has 34 top-10 picks since 2007.
- Five SEC schools—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M—combined to produce eight first-round picks.
- This year marks the first time since 2006 the SEC did not have a top-5 pick in the NFL Draft.
Vernon Hargreaves III – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1st Round (No. 11 overall)
Hargreaves declared for the NFL Draft following his junior season after starting 13 games during UF's 2015 campaign. The Tampa, Fla. native was one of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, a consensus first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC selection, and a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award this past year. Hargreaves was also an Associated Press All-American in 2013 and 2014, in addition to being a three-time first-team All-SEC honoree.
Keanu Neal – Atlanta Falcons, 1st Round (No. 17 overall)
Neal declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season, which saw him play in 12 games and make 11 starts at safety. Despite missing the first two games due to injury, the Bushnell, Fla. product ranked third on the team with 96 total tackles, including a team-high 51 solo tackles. Neal played in a total of 34 games and made 19 starts for the UF secondary.
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