Wide receiver Trevon Grimes, projected as a late-round pick in this week's NFL Draft after catching 38 passes for 589 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020, could be one of the next hidden gems of UF products to fall in the fourth round or later.
Charting the Gators: Best Later-Round Gators
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 | Football, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In 1993, the National Football League and its players association ratified a new collective bargaining agreement that reduced the annual college draft from 12 rounds to seven. The goal was to give a larger number of players the freedom to match themselves to the best possible landing places. Part of the collateral damage, though, was fewer players being able to say they were drafted and, therefore, fewer cool long-shot stories.
Take Brad Culpepper, for example.
Brad Culpepper
Culpepper was a first-team All-America defensive tackle for the Gators, a captain on Florida's first Southeastern Conference championship team in 1991, winner of the Draddy Award (the academic football equivalent of the Heisman Trophy) and student body vice president. Scouts pegged Culpepper as undersized, maybe a tad slow, and he stuck around until Minnesota plucked him in Round 10 with the 264th overall selection. He played two seasons with the Vikings before heading to Tampa Bay in 1994.
In 1997, Culpepper lined up next to Warren Sapp and began a three-year run of terrorizing quarterbacks. Culpepper rang up 23.5 sacks over three seasons — in the middle of the franchise's renaissance built entirely on defense — before he was waived during training camp in 2000.
He played 131 games over nine seasons, with 83 starts, finishing 316 tackles (207 of them solo) and 34 sacks.
Great story.
So, with the 2021 NFL Draft upon us, who will be the next great late-round draft story for the Gators? In the 28 drafts under the seven-round format, Florida has had 76 players taken in Round 4 and beyond, with a handful carving out some nice niches for themselves; maybe not with the team that took them, but that counts, too.
You couldn't turn on ESPN the last two weeks without seeing Kyle Pitts doing a vertical jump. Good for him. Ditto Kadarius Toney (who figures to go in the first or second round) and Kyle Trask (second or third). One day, perhaps Evan McPherson, Marco Wilson, Kyree Campbell or (my best bet) Trevon Grimes will be talked about in similar fashion as the UF names below, all of whom were mined from the draft's second half. And while those aforementioned outgoing Gators won't hear their names called during Thursday's first round or Friday's second and third rounds, they have a great shot at Saturday's fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds.
In some cases (rare, special cases) that'll be good enough to hear their names on future Sundays in the fall.
CHARTING THE GATORS Here are 10 UF players who were taken in the fourth-through-seventh rounds of the draft (since the NFL cut the format from 10 rounds) and went to make an impact in the league. Junior-college transfer Trent Brown (77) , a single-season starter for the Gators who became a Super Bowl champion and signed a mega-free agent contract, sits atop the list.
RANK
PLAYER
POS.
YEAR
ROUND / PICK
TEAM
COMMENT
1
Trent Brown
OL
2015
7th / 244th
San Francisco
Traded to New England in 2018, started every game at LT (Tom Brady's blind side protector) and won Super Bowl LIII. Signed 4-year, $66 million deal with Oakland in '19, but was traded back to Patriots in March.
2
Alex Brown
DE
2002
4th / 104th
Chicago
Two-time first-team All American and 2001 SEC Defensive Player of Year, he played nine NFL seasons, totaled 43.5 sacks, reached Super Bowl XLI with Bears in 2006.
3
Jeff Mitchell
OL
1997
5th / 134th
Baltimore
Played 8 seasons, winning Super Bowl XXXV as starting center for Ravens, then made SB XXXVIII as starter with Carolina.
4
Cooper Carlisle
OL
2019
4th / 112th
Denver
13 seasons, 190 games, 133 starters. All tops on this list. Cheers!
5
Demarcus Robinson
WR
2016
4th / 126th
Kansas city
80 games, 32 starts, 132 receptions, 1,415 yards, 11 TDs, plus 10 playoff games and a Super Bowl LIV championship ring alongside Patrick Mahomes. Must be fun.
In two seasons, 31 games, including 20 starts (seven games as a rookie), 115 tackles (90 solo), two interceptions, plus three playoff games.
7
Jason Odom
OL
1996
4th / 96th
Tampa Bay
Only played 4 seasons, but was a pivotal role in Buccaneers' reclamation project, starting 41 of 46 games for Tony Dungy, while blocking for Pro-Bowlers Warrick Dunn/Mike Alstott. Forced into retirement due to severe back injury following '99 season.
8
Andra Davis
LB
2002
5th / 141st
Cleveland
Carved out 10-season career with 3 teams (7 years with Browns); started 103 of 143 games, totaling 787 tackles, including 539 solo and 50 for loss.
9
Marquand Manuel
DB
2002
6th / 181st
Cincinnati
Played 8 seasons with six different clubs, starting 58 of 116 games, tallying 368 tackles (285 solo), with 16 interceptions, one for a TD.
Troubled career riddled with drug suspensions, but when on the field, he has produced: 25 games, 14 starts, 53 catches, 695 yards, 5 TDs (including 71-yarder). Signed this offseason with Chiefs.
