Trio of Gators Selected on Day Three of 2019 NFL Draft
Saturday, April 27, 2019 | Football
For the fifth-straight year, at least five Gators were selected in the NFL Draft.
NFL Draft Day 2 Recap
NASHVILLE – Three former Gators were taken on the third and final day of the 2019 NFL Draft, with defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson going in the fourth round and linebacker Vosean Joseph and running back Jordan Scarlett going in the fifth round.
The New Orleans Saints picked Gardner-Johnson with the 105th pick of the draft. Meanwhile, Joseph and Scarlett were selected by the Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers with the 147th and 154th picks, respectively.
They joined Jawaan Taylor (2nd Round, 35th Overall, Jacksonville Jaguars) and Jachai Polite (3rd Round, 68th Overall, New York Jets) to total three draft picks for UF.
The Cocoa, Fla. native became the eighth Florida defensive back selected in the NFL Draft since 2016, joining Duke Dawson (second round, 56th, 2018), Marcell Harris (sixth round, 184th, 2018), Marcus Maye (second round, 39th, 2017), Quincy Wilson (second round, 46th, 2017), Teez Tabor (second round, 53rd, 2017), Vernon Hargreaves III (first round, 11th, 2016) and Keanu Neal (first round, 17th, 2016).
Florida's eight defensive backs selected in the NFL Draft since 2016 is tied with Miami for the top mark in the country. Alabama (7), Ohio State (7) and LSU (6) all trail the Gators.
Meanwhile, Joseph's became the sixth Florida linebacker selected in the last seven years and Scarlett is the fifth Florida running back picked in the draft since 2000 and the first since Kelvin Taylor was selected in the sixth round of the 2016 draft by San Francisco.
New Orleans has now drafted 10 Gators, most recently selecting Alex Anzalone in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. On the flipside, Joseph was the first UF player picked by the Bills since defensive end Scott Hutchinson was selected in the second round of the 1978 draft and Scarlett was the first Gators player ever selected by the Panthers.
Quotes – Dan Mullen:
- On Chauncey Gardner-Johnson:
- "Chauncey had a great career with the Gators. I will always remember his approach for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. He was fully committed to the team, his teammates, and the game. With that said, he went out and arguably had the best game of his career. He has great position flexibility and plays with unbelievable energy and passion."
- On Vosean Joseph:
- "Vosean is very athletic and a passionate player who plays with a lot of intensity and can surprise you with how hard he hits."
- On Jordan Scarlett:
- "Jordan did nothing but buy into the program everyday, both on and off the field. He went about his business in a very unselfish manner and put the team first. He understood how to bring value to the team with an unselfish approach that included playing special teams."
Gators 2019 NFL Draft Notes
- Florida has had the third most first and second round picks since 2008.
- Alabama – 46
- Ohio State – 33
- Florida – 26
- Florida State – 23
- LSU – 22
- USC – 22
- Clemson – 19
- Notre Dame – 19
- Missouri – 15
- North Carolina – 15
- For the fifth-straight year, at least five Gators were selected. In addition, this is the 12th time since 2000 that the Gators reached that mark.
- Florida joins 18 other schools that had at least five guys selected in the 2019 NFL Draft
- Eight of the 19 schools that had at least five guys drafted are members of the SEC
- Polite was the 24th Florida defensive lineman selected in the NFL Draft over the past 20 years. That mark is tied with Florida State for the second-most in that span. UF trails only Alabama (26) and the Gators rank ahead of LSU (23), Clemson (23), Ohio State (20), Miami (19) and Tennessee (17).
- In addition, UF has had a DL selected in every draft this decade and Polite is the 12th picked during that span. That total ranks third in the nation and trails Alabama (18) and Clemson (14). With that, Ohio State (11), Michigan (10), Florida State (10), LSU (8), Oklahoma (8), Miami (8) and Penn State (8) all sit behind UF.
- The Gators had multiple players selected in the first three rounds for the fifth-straight year. That is the longest streak since its streak of eight years from 1997-2004
- At least one Florida player has been selected in every NFL Draft since 1952, the longest streak in SEC history.
- Florida's eight defensive backs selected in the NFL Draft since 2016 is tied with Miami for the top mark in the country.
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson – New Orleans Saints, 4th Round (No. 105 overall)
- Ended his collegiate career with 37 games played, nine interceptions, three INT returns for touchdowns, 12 pass breakups, 161 total tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-loss and four sacks.
- 2018: Declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season… Played in all 13 games and started 12… Totaled 71 tackles, four interceptions (two returned for a touchdown), two pass break-ups, nine tackles-for-loss, three sacks and two quarterback hurries… His four INTs ranked tied for 16th in the country and tied for second in the SEC… After he snagged a pair of interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against Michigan, Gardner-Johnson was named Defensive MVP... Also for his efforts he garnered AP All-Bowl Team honors… Notched his other interception returned for a touchdown on the first play of Florida's contest against Idaho… Member of a group that helped UF lead the nation in fourth quarter opponent passing efficiency (66.25) and rank second nationally in fourth quarter opponent completion percentage (40.5).
- 2017: Played and started in all 11 games… Totaled 58 tackles, two interceptions, seven pass breakups, 6.0 tackles-for-loss and one sack… Recorded his interceptions against South Carolina (Nov. 11) and UAB (Nov. 18) in back-to-back weeks... Ranked third on the team behind Marco Wilson (10) and Duke Dawson (9) in passes defended and second on the team in tackles behind David Reese (102)… Played safety all season following an injury to veteran Marcell Harris during the preseason.
- 2016: Appeared in all 13 games throughout the season and started Florida's final three contests against FSU, Alabama and Iowa… Began the season the season as a reserve defensive back, but ended Florida's season as one its starting safeties… Led the Gators with eight special teams tackles, as he was a key member on special teams throughout the season… Totaled 32 tackles, three pass break-ups, three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and a half tackle-for-loss… His three interceptions tied with Quincy Wilson for the second most on the team… Grabbed his first-career interception at Florida State, while making his first-career start… Tallied a career-high nine tackles against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game… Recorded two tackles and two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) in the Outback Bowl against Iowa… Tallied the first multi-interception game by a Florida freshman since Nov. 13, 2004 when Kyle Jackson had two picks against South Carolina… Was named the Outback Bowl MVP for his standout performance as he joined two-way standout Dave Hudson (1958 Gator Bowl), Tony Lilly (1983 Gator) and Ahmad Black (2011 Outback) as the only UF defensive backs to be named a bowl MVP… Became the second true freshman in program history to win a Bowl MVP Award, joining Emmitt Smith (1987)… Named to ESPN's, Sports Illustrated's and the AP's All-Bowl Team.
What's Out There?
- Check out all the social media buzz around Chauncey Gardner-Johnson being selected by the New Orleans Saints.
.@CGJXXIII ➡️ #GatorMade
— Gators Football (@GatorsFB) April 27, 2019
📍 @Saints
📝 Round 4, Pick 105#NFLDraft 👀 #GatorsAlways pic.twitter.com/znDOmXhb7r
With the 3rd pick of the 4th round, the #Saints select safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson from Florida! #SaintsDraft pic.twitter.com/R1HNwOWixs
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 27, 2019
.@CGJXXIII is heading to NOLA! #GatorMade pic.twitter.com/I0U6fnS31d
— Gators Football (@GatorsFB) April 27, 2019
New @Saints DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson had the draft class' highest grade from the slot among SEC defenders and allowed a paltry 45.4 passer rating on throws into his coverage. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/txDJyOxa5F
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) April 27, 2019
Vosean Joseph – Buffalo Bills, 5th Round (No. 147 overall)
- Declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season… Totaled 161 tackles, 14.0 tackles-for-loss, four sacks, eight pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery during his career.
- 2018: Played in all 13 games and started 11 at linebacker… Led the team with 93 tackles… Also totaled nine tackles-for-loss, four sacks, five pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hurry… Had a career-high 14 stops and 3.5 tackles-for-loss in Florida's win over No. 5-ranked LSU… Garnered Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Tigers.
- 2017: Played in all 11 games and started 10 at outside linebacker… Totaled 55 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, one interception one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one quarterback hurry… Ranked third on the team in total tackles… Notched his first career interception against South Carolina... Forced the first fumble of his career against UAB… Registered a career-best 1.5 tackles-for-loss against UAB.
- 2016: Played in all 13 games and recorded one start… Was a key member of all four special teams' units and a reserve linebacker throughout the season… Totaled 13 tackles, one tackle-for-loss, one pass breakup, and one fumble recovery… Recorded a pair of special teams' tackles during the season… Notched his lone start of the season in the Outback Bowl against Iowa where he recorded six tackles, one tackle-for-loss and one pass breakup.
What's Out There?
- Check out all the social media buzz around Vosean Joseph being selected by the Buffalo Bills.
.@gloryboy_Sean ➡️ #GatorMade
— Gators Football (@GatorsFB) April 27, 2019
📍 @buffalobills
📝 Round 5, Pick 147 #NFLDraft 👀 #GatorsAlways pic.twitter.com/b1odGIMiKj
We've drafted Vosean Joseph with the 147th overall pick.
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) April 27, 2019
Welcome to Buffalo, @gloryboy_Sean! #GoBills pic.twitter.com/u8kLTZ0sMq
.@gloryboy_Sean ➡️ #BILLSMAFIA#GatorMade pic.twitter.com/MAsUPCcBDo
— Gators Football (@GatorsFB) April 27, 2019
"The Buffalo Bills are quietly building something. This Draft has been really good and there's reason for excitement in Western New York." 👊 #GoBills pic.twitter.com/qV2CGgFmbd
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) April 27, 2019
Jordan Scarlett – Carolina Panthers, 5th Round (No. 154 overall)
- 2018: Declared for the NFL Draft following the season… Played in all 13 contests and recorded 12 starts… Ranked second on the team with 131 carries, 776 rushing yards, five touchdowns and 860 total yards… Caught 10 passes for 84 yards… Tallied a career-high 159 rushing yards on 18 carries against South Carolina… Also recorded a 100-yard rushing performance at Vanderbilt (16-113)… Tallied 22 rushes of more than 10 yards… Bought into Dan Mullen's philosophy to spilt carries with Lamical Perine, which kept them both fresh throughout a game and the entire season… Overall, the Gators ranked fourth in the SEC in yards per carry (5.29) and yards per game (213.15) and totaled 2,771 yards rushing on 526 attempts during the season… That mark passed the 2007 Gators (2,602) for the program's third-highest rushing yardage total since the start of 1990; only the 2008 Gators (3,326) and 2009 Gators (3,105) had higher totals… Also as a team, UF rushed for 200-plus yards nine times, which tied the 2008 Gators for the highest number of times it hit that mark in a season since the start of 1996… Perine (826) and Scarlett (776) are the first pair of Gators with at least 775 rushing yards in a season since Elijah Williams (858) and Terry Jackson (780) both hit that mark in 1995… Was one of three players (Perine, Feleipe Franks) who scored at least five rushing touchdowns, which marked the first time UF accomplished that feat since 2010.
- 2017: Spent the entire season suspended and away from the team.
- 2016: Took over the starting role late in the season and carried the load for the Gators' offense… Played in all 13 contests and started eight times… Led the team with 179 carries, 889 rushing yards and six touchdowns… Scarlett's 889 yards rushing was the most by a Florida freshman or sophomore running back since 1995… Recorded a team-best 5.0 yards per rush for players who had at least 10 attempts… Had three games of 100-plus yards on the season… Led the team in rushing yards nine times on the season, against UMass (70 yards), Tennessee (44), Vanderbilt (55), Georgia (93), South Carolina (134), LSU (108), Florida State (53), Alabama (17) and Iowa (94)… Had a career day against South Carolina, averaging 6.7 yards on 20 carries and totaling 134 yards… With his rushing touchdown against Georgia, Scarlett joined Kelvin Taylor (2015) as the only other UF running back since 2005 to score a rushing touchdown in six consecutive games… Pro Football Focus credited Scarlett with 48 missed tackles (most in the SEC/16th nationally) during the regular season (prior to the Outback Bowl)… For instance, 588 of his 795 rushing yards during the regular season were after contact, which accounted for 74 percent of his total rushing yards… That mark tied him with Georgia's Nick Chubb for the highest percentage in that category… After finishing the season with 94 rushing yards against Iowa in the Outback Bowl, Scarlett eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for his career.
- 2015: Played in 10 games and recorded his first-career start against Vanderbilt... Finished third on the team with 181 yards on 34 carries (5.3 avg) and one touchdown... Posted career highs in rushing yards (96) and attempts (nine) versus Georgia...Broke off a career-best run of 60 yards against the Bulldogs... Recorded his first-career rushing touchdown against New Mexico State.
What's Out There?
- Check out all the social media buzz around Jordan Scarlett being selected by the Carolina Panthers.
.@ScarlettFever25 ➡️ #GatorMade
— Gators Football (@GatorsFB) April 27, 2019
📍 @Panthers
📝 Round 5, Pick 154 #NFLDraft 👀 #GatorsAlways pic.twitter.com/sGoIT1ibdQ
Keep Chomping! pic.twitter.com/uGQeSqCyOw
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 27, 2019
.@ScarlettFever25 will #KeepPounding defenses in Charlotte!
— Gators Football (@GatorsFB) April 27, 2019
📺 @nflnetwork#GatorMade pic.twitter.com/YIHdWFwqKG
Scarlett on conference call says he's a guy who grinds out tough yards. "I'm a very physical runner. I like running hard." Says he brings a different element to a backfield headlined by CMC.
— Max Henson (@PanthersMax) April 27, 2019
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