Gators' Contingent Headed to NFL Combine, Led by Top Prospect Dante Fowler Jr.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Super Bowl XLIX was a classic, filed away to history for more than two weeks. Now it's time for the Super Bowl of scouting.
Yes, the six-day NFL Combine opens Tuesday in Indianapolis and nine Gators are among the 330-plus prospects invited to participate in speed competitions, non-padded drills, aptitude tests and personal interviews with teams interested in their future services.
Gators defensive lineman Dante Fowler Jr. is the highest-rated Florida player scheduled to appear at the combine. Fowler is widely projected as a first-round pick and potentially a top 10 pick by multiple draft analysts, including Mike Mayock of the NFL Network.
On a conference call Monday, Mayock (photo, left) said Fowler is at the top of his list for defensive linemen/edge rushers available in the draft. Chicago and Atlanta, picking seventh and eighth, are possible landing spots for Fowler.
New Falcons head coach Dan Quinn helped recruit Fowler to Florida when he was the Gators' defensive coordinator in 2011-12.
“I seem to be in the minority with the media people having Dante Fowler at No. 1,'' Mayock said. “He reminds me a little bit of a [Kansas City Pro Bowler] Justin Houston. I think he's going to be 255 to 260 [pounds].”
Mayock considers Fowler, Missouri's Shane Ray, and Randy Gregory of Nebraska as the premier speed rushers in this year's draft. Mayock added Fowler has the potential to be the best of the trio at the professional level.
“It depends what your flavor is,” Mayock said. “I think the best fit for a 3-4 [defense] is Dante Fowler. Now Gregory and Shane Ray are gifted, long, they're going to get bigger and stronger. But the way I look at the 3-4 outside linebacker in order, No. 1, you have to be a great pass-rusher or have the ability to develop into one. Number two, you've got to set the physical edge, and number three, you've got to be able to drop in coverage, and that's the least important of the three.
“I think Dante Fowler is the guy that checks off all three of those boxes.”
Since he capped his Florida career with three sacks in the Birmingham Bowl, Fowler has been training with other draft hopefuls at an Exos facility connected with the Andrews Institute in the Pensacola area. He returned to campus recently to attend a UF basketball game and is confident he made the right decision to leave school a year early and enter the draft.
The combine will provide Fowler a platform to show off his recent conditioning work and validate his high ratings with draft analysts such as Mayock.
“To be honest with you that's the way I always train myself to be,” Fowler said. “I'm not gonna lie, I always wanted to be the number one guy, the top person in my caliber and I felt, you know, that's the type of person that I was and just to see the recognition by Mel ]Kiper Jr.], just seeing GMs and scouts, I'm just glad to see that my work is being recognized now.”
Fowler played defensive end in 4-3 formations and outside linebacker in Florida's 3-4 packages, a hybrid role the Gators termed “the buck” under former head coach Will Muschamp.
Offensive lineman D.J. Humphries left school early to test his stock in the NFL Draft. (Photo: Tim Casey)
While Fowler had a solid career, he has just scratched the surface to most talent evaluators.
“He's had to play at different weights and different spots on the field, and I think he's finally understanding how to use his athleticism to dominate a game,'' an AFC East college director of scouting told the NFL Network. “He will be way better in the pros than what he is now.”
Meanwhile, running back Matt Jones, offensive linemen D.J. Humphries, Max Garcia, Trenton Brown and Chaz Green, punter Kyle Christy, defensive tackle Leon Orr and linebacker Neiron Ball are other Gators invited to the combine.
(Note: Click on the names above for a scouting report of each player.)
The event has grown into must-watch TV for diehard fans of the NFL Draft and is also popular with college football fans interested to see how players they rooted for at their alma maters perform.
You can check out NFL.com's combine portal throughout the week for regular updates and also watch coverage of the event on the NFL Network.
Schedule of on-field workouts:
Friday, Feb. 20: Specialists, offensive linemen, tight ends
Saturday, Feb. 21: Quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers
Sunday: Feb. 22: Defensive linemen, linebackers
Monday, Feb. 23: Defensive backs
Thank you @haleyreeb! Love you too pic.twitter.com/TXfbfj8sk6
— Kyle Christy (@KyleChristy4) February 17, 2015 
