Chaz Green and Matt Jones Selected on Day Two of NFL Draft
Saturday, May 2, 2015 | Football
CHICAGO, Ill. -- Two former University of Florida football players were selected on day two of the 2015 NFL Draft. Offensive lineman Chaz Green was selected with the 91st pick of the third round by the Dallas Cowboys, while running back Matt Jones was taken just four picks later by the Washington Redskins.
They join DL Dante Fowler, Jr. (first round, Jacksonville) and OL D.J. Humphries (first round, Arizona) to total four Gators drafted in 2015. Check out Fowler and Humphries draft day releases by clicking here and here, respectively.
Green is the 14th Gator all-time selected by the Cowboys, but is the first since Willie Jackson was picked by Dallas in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft. Green is the first UF offensive lineman that Dallas picked since 1987 (Jeff Zimmerman, 3rd round).
With Humphries and Green off the board, 2015 is the first year that at-least two Florida offensive lineman have been selected since Mike Pouncey and Marcus Gilbert were picked in 2011.
Jones is the first Gator drafted by the Redskins since 2013 (Jordan Reed, 3rd round) and just the 14th UF player ever selected by the franchise. His third round selection makes Jones the highest UF tailback picked since Fred Taylor went ninth overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1998.
Jones is the first running back from Florida drafted by Washington since Tony Green in 1978.
2015 GATORS IN THE NFL DRAFT
Dante Fowler, Jr. – Jacksonville Jaguars, 1st Round (No. 3 overall)
Fowler declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season after being named a Second Team All-American by Sporting News and Walter Camp, and a Fourth Team All-American by Phil Steele. In addition, the St. Petersburg product earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from Sports Illustrated. From the SEC, he was selected as an All-SEC First Team performer by the leagues' coaches, ESPN.com and Phil Steele. Fowler was also voted the Defensive MVP and Ray Graves Award winner (Overall Team MVP), and was selected a season captain by his teammates.
Statistically, Fowler finished the 2014 season fourth on the team with 60 total tackles and led the team with 15.0 tackles-for-loss and 8.5 sacks. Overall, he played in 32 games for the Gators and made 26 starts on the defensive line. He recorded 72 total tackles with 18 tackles-for-loss and 5.5 sacks in his career.
D.J. Humphries – Arizona Cardinals, 1st Round (No. 24 overall)
Humphries declared for the NFL Draft following his junior season after playing in 10 games and starting all of the at left tackle. Following the 2012 season, the Union N.C. native was named to the First Team Offense SEC Coaches' All-Freshman (OL) and as a Sporting News Freshman All-American.
Chaz Green – Dallas Cowboys, 3rd Round (No. 91 overall)
Green started 11 games for the Gators in 2014, nine at right tackle and two at left tackle. After earning the Chris Patrick Courage Award as he returned from a season-ending injury in 2013 to start every game. In addition, Green was voted as a team captain for the season by his teammates.
Matt Jones – Washington Redskins, 3rd Round (No. 95 overall)
Jones, who declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season, played in 11 games for the Gators in 2014 and started 10 times at running back. The Seffner, Fla. native led the team with 817 rushing yards on 166 carries, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. He scored six touchdowns on the ground and had one receiving touchdown as he totaled 11 catches for 65 yards. Jones led the team in rushing yards three times this past season and recorded a career-high 192 yards and two touchdowns against Georgia.
