The NFL Draft is around the corner, and Florida Football has a number of prospects hoping to have their name called in Green Bay between Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
This time of year we tend to look back at the players who were a bust in the NFL, but we would be remiss if we didn't highlight the players who lived up to their NFL Draft hype.
These are five former Gators who were drafted in the top 15 overall and went on to a great NFL career.
Florida Football: Dante Fowler is still going
Dante Fowler is still the highest a Gator has ever been taken in the Super Bowl Era in the NFL Draft when Jacksonville selected him 3rd overall in 2015.
If you are a Jaguars fan, you might not view Fowler as a success given he tore his ACL prior to his rookie season and he was ultimately traded midway through the 2018 season.
But in terms of an NFL career, Fowler has had enough success to make him a valuable player.
Fowler had eight sacks in 2017, 11.5 sacks in 2019, and this past season with Washington, he had 10.5 sacks.
Fowler is back with Dallas for the 2025 season and is entering year 11 of his NFL career.
Kevin Carter
In his prime, he was as feared as anyone in the NFL, and as much as the 1999 season for the St. Louis Rams is remembered as the "Greatest Show on Turf," Kevin Carter played a huge role along the defensive line.
Originally drafted 6th overall in 1995, Carter had 17 sacks during the 1999 season and was named a First Team All-Pro.
He also had double-digit sacks in 1998, 2000, and 2002 and finished his NFL career in 2008 with 104.5 sacks and 20 forced fumbles.
During his 14-year NFL career, he played in all 16 games in all 14 seasons.
Joe Haden
It doesn't help that Joe Haden was relegated to the Cleveland Browns for the front half of his career, but after being drafted 7th overall in 2010 he made the most of it.
During his rookie campaign, he had six interceptions and a forced fumble. He continued to be a mainstay in their secondary and made it to the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2014.
Haden eventually wound up with Pittsburgh and made another Pro Bowl in 2019.
He played through the 2021 season and officially retired in 2022 after a 12-year career.
Fred Taylor
Why this man is not in the Hall of Fame is a mystery, but there is no mistaking that Fred Taylor lived up to his NFL Draft hype when he was taken 9th overall in 1998.
What seems surprising is that Taylor only actually made one Pro Bowl, and yet he had seven seasons of over 1,000 yards rushing and finished his career with 11,695 yards on the ground and another 2,384 yards receiving.
He played in Jacksonville from 1998 until 2008 and spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons with New England before retiring.
Mike Pouncey
Mike Pouncey went 15th overall to the Miami Dolphins in 2011 and carved out a long career for himself in the NFL.
He made the All-Rookie Team in 2011 and went on to make the Pro Bowl in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2018.
He signed with the Chargers in 2018 before injuries started to catch up, and he officially stepped away for good in 2021.