Florida football: Does Jabari Zuniga’s injury impact his draft stock?
By Thomas Brady
Jabari Zuniga has been a mainstay in the Florida football defense since the 2016 season and he’s widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in college football.
Now onto his fourth year with Florida football, Zuniga has been one of the most productive defensive ends in Gator history.
He’s amassed an impressive 39 games with 18.5 sacks, 62 assisted tackles and 53 solo tackles becoming a leader on defense along the way.
Before the 2019 season started, he was one of only two Gators (alongside CJ Henderson) to be voted to the All-SEC defensive team. But after a strong start against the Miami Hurricanes (6 total tackles, 1.5 sacks) and UT-Martin (2 total tackles, 1.5 sacks) injuries have hampered No.92 since.
Jabari suffered an ankle injury before the Week 4 Tennessee match up and following a much-anticipated return, he aggravated the same ankle against LSU on Saturday.
He’s currently a game-time decision to play against South Carolina this week but the Gators will be hoping he can return in their bid to bounce back following a tough loss on Saturday.
Draft Stock
So will this nagging injury impact Jabari’s hopes of being alongside fellow Gator, C.J. Henderson, as a first-round pick when we hit Nevada in April?
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Well, most scouts will be encouraged that the redshirt senior doesn’t have a history of injuries. He appeared in all 13 games in 2016, 10 games in 2017 and 13 games last year showing his toughness and resilience whilst cementing his place as a top-5 DE.
The consensus before the 2019 season started was Zuniga is a nailed on mid to late first-rounder. If he can return healthy and show the same outrageous skill set that got him 45 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last year, there’s no doubt he will hit this projection and maybe even higher.
If he can’t, then in my eyes he’s still a first-round talent and could prove to be a steal for NFL teams in the second round.
In reality, it’s too early to say where and when Jabari will land in the 2020 NFL draft. But despite concerns about the injury, his size and coming out of stance, it’s clear he has the talent to terrorize NFL quarterbacks for years to come if given the chance.
What’s next for JZ?
On Saturday, the man from Marietta, GA will be hoping to shake off the ankle concerns and help Florida football out in a big game before heading into a bye. It’s another chance for Jabari to showcase his athleticism and unique moves on the edge with Florida desperate to return to winning ways. One thing is for sure – their chances of winning will substantially increase if their star defensive end is healthy.
I personally feel Zuniga will come back stronger and motivated to make up for the lost time in the most crucial period of his football career, just before the draft. Scouts will look at Zuniga’s impressive stats and the work he’s done in Gainesville, and it would take a disaster for the stand out to fall from the first round now.
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Gators Fans – how do you think Zuniga will do for the rest of the year? Where will he go in the draft? Let me know in the comments!