Four Gators Selected on Second Day of 2017 NFL Draft
Friday, April 28, 2017 | Football
Florida is tied for the most defensive backs taken in the first two rounds of the 2016 and 2017 drafts.
PHILADELPHIA – Four former Gators were taken on the second day of the 2017 NFL Draft, with Marcus Maye, Quincy Wilson and Teez Tabor going in the second round and Alex Anzalone going in the third. Maye and Wilson were selected by the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts, who chose them with the 39th and 46th overall picks, respectively, while Anzalone was picked by the New Orleans Saints with the 76th overall selection.
Meanwhile, cornerback Teez Tabor joined 2017 first-round pick (21st overall) Jarrad Davis in Detroit as the Lions selected Tabor 53rd overall in the second round.
You can read about Davis' first-round selection here.
Through the first three rounds of this year's NFL Draft, the Gators are one of four teams in the country to have at least five players drafted.
This marks just the third time in school history five defensive players were taken in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. The Gators' 2010 draft class was the last to feature a quintet of defenders to come off the board before the end of the third round, as cornerback Joe Haden went 7th overall to Cleveland, defensive end Jermaine Cunningham went 53rd overall to New England, defensive end Carlos Dunlap went 54th overall to Cincinnati, linebacker Brandon Spikes went 62nd overall to New England and safety Major Wright went 75th overall to Chicago.
UF also accomplished this feat in 1999.
Maye, Tabor and Wilson and the third, fourth and fifth UF defensive backs selected in the top two rounds of the 2016 and 2017 drafts. They join Vernon Hargreaves III (first round, 11th overall, 2016) and Keanu Neal (first round, 17th overall, 2016).
Florida is tied for the most defensive backs taken in the first two rounds of the 2016 and 2017 drafts. Ohio State is tied with the Gators, while Washington trails the Gators and Buckeyes with three defensive backs selected.
Maye is the eight Gator New York has selected and the first since Cal Dixon was selected in the fifth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, Wilson is the 14th Gator selected by the Colts. This is the second-straight year Indy selected a Florida defender as they picked Antonio Morrison just one year ago.
Anzalone is the seventh Gator picked by the Saints and the first since Ronald Powell in 2014.
In addition to Davis on Thursday, Detroit has now drafted nine Gators. Prior to Davis and Tabor, the Lions most recently selected Lomas Brown in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft.
Gators 2017 NFL Draft Notes
- In addition to Florida, other programs with at least five players selected through the first three rounds are Alabama (9), Ohio State (6) and LSU (5).
- For the first time since 2010, second time since 1999, and third time in program history at least five Gators were drafted in the first three rounds.
- For the third-straight year at least five Gators were selected. In addition, this is the ninth time since 2000 that the Gators have notched five picks.
- Marcus Maye, Quincy Wilson and Teez Tabor became the first trio of Florida defensive backs selected in the same round.
- At least one Florida player has been selected in every NFL Draft since 1952, the longest streak in SEC history.
- This is the fourth time in UF history that the Gators had two linebackers drafted in the first three rounds.
- Florida had four players selected in the first 53 picks. It's most since 2010.
Marcus Maye – New York Jets, 2nd Round (No. 39 overall)
- 2016: Played and started in Florida's first nine games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against South Carolina… Notched 50 tackles, which tied for fourth on the team, one sack, one interception and six pass breakups…. Tallied that INT against USC prior to getting hurt… Was a key member of special teams for the Gators… Named Second Team All-SEC by the AP, Athlon Sports, Gridiron Now and Pro Football Focus.
- Named a First Team All-American by USA Today and Pro Football Focus… Earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from Sports Illustrated… Named First Team All-SEC by PFF and GridIron Now and Second Team All-SEC by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele… Played in 13 games and started 12 times at safety… Racked up 82 tackles, fourth most on the team… Hard-hitter forced five fumbles, second most in the country, and recovered two… Intercepted two passes and broke up six more.
- 2014: Played in 11 games and started nine times… Played both safety and nickel positions… Totaled 62 tackles on the year, third most on the team and most among defensive backs… Recorded a team-leading 12 red zone defensive plays… Had five-or-more tackles in nine of 11 games… Named the Special Teams Player of the Game against Tennessee… Led the team in tackles against Vanderbilt (6 tackles) and East Carolina (8)… Had a career-high nine tackles against Kentucky.
- 2013: Played in all 12 games and made two starts at safety… Recorded 16 tackles on the year with 1.0 tackle-for-loss… Had his first career interception against Tennessee and returned it 30 yards…Also a key member on special teams, recording four special teams tackles on the season.
- 2012: Did not see game action and redshirted.
Quincy Wilson – Indianapolis Colts, 2nd Round (No. 46 overall)
- 2016: Declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season… Started all 13 games throughout the season and totaled 33 tackles, one sack, three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and six pass break-ups… Was one of two players to start every game during the season for the Gators… Notched his pick-six against Missouri, one drive after his classmate, Teez Tabor, recorded an interception return for a touchdown… Recorded a career-high nine tackles against South Carolina… Named Second Team All-SEC by the league's Coaches, AP, Athlon Sports and Gridiron Now.
- Appeared in 14 games, starting nine… Had two interceptions, five pass breakups and 19 tackles… Blanked future first round pick, Laquon Tredwell, when he was lined up against him in Florida's game against Ole Miss.
- 2014: Saw action in all 12 games as a true freshman and started twice at cornerback… Had 22 total tackles, second-most among true freshman… Recorded his first career interception with a diving snag at No. 3 Florida State that resulted in a Florida field goal… Had four tackles in three separate games.
Teez Tabor – Detroit Lions, 2nd Round (No. 53 overall)
- 2016: Declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season… Played and started in 12 games… Totaled 33 tackles, four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), six pass break-ups, one sack and a fumble recovery… Notched that interception returned for a touchdown against Missouri… Recorded eight interceptions during his final two seasons in Gainesville, which tied for the 14th-most among players during that span… Additionally, his three interception return touchdowns during the past two years was third most by an FBS player during that period... Ended his career with 33 pass breakups, which ranks as the sixth most all-time in program history… Named Second Team All-America by the FWAA, AFCA, CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated, while he earned Third Team All-America accolades b ye AP… Garnered First Team All-SEC honors by the league's Coaches, AP, Athlon Sports, ESPN.com and Gridiron Now… Earned Pro Football Focus Second Team All-SEC accolades.
- 2015: Appeared in 13 games, starting nine… Named First Team All-SEC by Coaches, AP, ESPN.com, Athlon, PFF and Gridiron Now… Sporting News Second Team All-American... Named Honorable Mention All-America by SI.com and PFF… First Gator since Brandon Spikes (2009) to return two interceptions for touchdowns in one season… Racked up 18 pass deflections.
- 2014: Played in all 12 games and started five times at cornerback as a true freshman… Led all freshmen with 31 total tackles on the season and had 4.0 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 sacks, eight pass breakups and an interception… Earned Freshman All-America First Team honors from the Sporting News and Second Team honors from Scout.com… Named to the SEC All-Freshman team… Earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Week Honors after his first career start at Tennessee, when he totaled five tackles, a sack, one pass breakup, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery… Had a team-leading two tackles-for-loss against Alabama.
Alex Anzalone – New Orleans, 3rd Round (No. 76 overall)
- 2016: Declared for the NFL Draft after his redshirt junior season… Started Florida's first eight games before suffering a broken forearm at Arkansas that would end his season… Ranked third on the team with 53 tackles… Led the Gators in tackles against Kentucky (6), Tennessee (12) and Missouri (8)… Tallied three sacks, six quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and one fumble recovery… Named to SEC Academic Honor Roll.
- 2015: Appeared in and started the first two games before suffering a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season...Registered six tackles, including a career-high five tackles against New Mexico State...Named to SEC Academic Honor Roll.
- 2014: Played in all 12 games, seeing action as a backup linebacker and starter on special teams...Totaled 14 tackles with one tackle-for-loss...Had a career-high four tackles against South Carolina...Earned the team's Chris Patrick Courage Award...Named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
- 2013: Battled through several injuries as a true freshman to see action in 10 games on special teams and at linebacker...Totaled two tackles on the season.
NFL Draft Coverage on Jarrad Davis
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