GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Much of the ESPN chatter during the College World Series championship final between the Gators and LSU centered on Tigers stars
Paul Skenes and
Dylan Crews.
Skenes and his mustache got more camera time than
Taylor Swift at the Grammys, and Crews was presumed the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB amateur draft.
That's all so last month.
If you haven't been paying attention to the industry buzz, many analysts now project Gators outfielder
Wyatt Langford as the No. 1 overall pick in Sunday night's draft. If you don't believe me, the MLB Pipeline has the Pirates taking Langford No. 1 overall in its
final mock draft, and veteran draft pundit
Keith Law of
The Athletic now has Langford going
first overall to Pittsburgh.
If the Pirates seek pitching, then Skenes would be the easy choice. However, Pittsburgh is reportedly eager to add a college bat, which depends on which flavor the Pirates prefer. Crews is considered the better defensive outfielder and likely to hit for a higher average, while Langford has more power and a stronger arm.
Scouts like to say there are no can't-miss prospects, but Crews and Langford are about as close as you can get having starred in the Southeastern Conference. Their ceilings are higher than high. It's easy to see both of them as future All-Stars.
The difference could come down to dollars and cents, as often in the MLB amateur draft. The slot bonus for the No. 1 overall pick is $9.7 million. If reports are accurate, two-time SEC Player of the Year Crews is after more money to sign with the Pirates, which may open the door for Langford to move into the top overall spot.
We will know in a few hours how it plays out.
If Langford does go No. 1 overall, he will become the first UF athlete in any of the three major professional sports in the U.S. drafted with the first overall pick in the first round.
Here are the eight who came closest:
Â
| PLAYER |
DRAFT |
YEAR |
OVERALL |
NOTABLE |
| Steve Spurrier |
NFL |
1967 |
No. 3 |
Played 10 NFL seasons; became legendary college coach at UF |
| Neal Walk |
NBA |
1969 |
No. 2 |
Averaged 12.6 points, 7.7 rebounds over eight-year NBA career |
| Wes Chandler |
NFL |
1978 |
No. 3 |
Four-time Pro Bowl selection had four 1,000-yard receiving seasons |
| Gerard Warren |
NFL |
2001 |
No. 3 |
Registered 36.5 sacks over 11-year career with four franchises |
| Al Horford |
NBA |
2007 |
No. 3 |
Five-time All-Star recently completed 16th season with trip to NBA Finals |
| Bradley Beal |
NBA |
2012 |
No. 3 |
One of NBA's top scorers over last decade recently traded to Phoenix |
| Mike Zunino |
MLB |
2012 |
No. 3 |
2021 All-Star has 149 home runs over 11 seasons; released by Indians in June |
| Dante Fowler |
NFL |
2015 |
No. 3 |
Veteran preparing for second season in Dallas, 41 career sacks in eight seasons |
Â
Â
