GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The general consensus – if there is such a thing when it comes to NFL mock drafts – is that Miami quarterback
Cam Ward cemented his spot as the likely No. 1 overall pick at the NFL Draft combine in February.
Some might argue Ward gained that distinction much earlier. If you were among the more than 90,000 fans at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium eight months ago, Ward made an impression difficult to forget.
In his first start for the Miami Hurricanes, Ward passed for 385 yards and three touchdowns as Miami thumped the Gators 41-17. Ward's rise continued throughout the season as he passed for more than 4,000 yards and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
With the
NFL Draft set to start Thursday night at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, how the draft will play out remains anybody's guess. The draft analysts take their best shots, but after the first few picks, the draft typically takes on a life of its own.
Still, there are a few assurances we can conclude for the Gators heading into Thursday night's first round. The second and third rounds are Friday night, and the draft closes on Saturday with the final four rounds. In all, 257 players will be selected.
As for the Gators, they will not have a player taken in the first round or second round barring a major surprise, which will snap a five-year streak. Receiver
Ricky Pearsall, Florida's only player selected in the 2024 draft, went in the next-to-last-pick of the first round to San Francisco.
And if the mock drafts are in the same neighborhood as reliable, don't expect any Gators to be selected until the fourth round at the earliest. If that turns to be accurate, it will mark the first time since 2012 (DT
Jaye Howard, fourth round, 114th overall, Seattle) that the Gators' first pick came in the fourth round or later.
Based on the latest mocks, DT
Cam Jackson, CB
Jason Marshall Jr. and LB
Shemar James are the Gators I'd consider most assured to be drafted. In reviewing several established mock drafts, there is not a clear consensus on the draft value of several Gators.
Here is a chart to illustrate the range of opinions about the Gators:
Note: Round/Overall Pick/Team listed in chart above.
Teams: SF (San Francisco), DET (Detroit), NE (New England), TEN (Tennessee), PIT (Pittsburgh), LV (Las Vegas), CLE (Cleveland), WAS (Washington), GB (Green Bay), HOU (Houston), PHI (Philadelphia), LAC (Los Angeles Chargers), SEA (Seattle), ARI (Arizona), CHI (Chicago), NYJ (New York Jets), BAL (Baltimore), DAL (Dallas), NYG (New York Giants).
