![Florida Gators defensive back Jason Marshall Jr. (3) tackles Samford Bulldogs wide receiver Preston Bird (84) during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 7, 2024 against the Samford Bulldogs. The Florida Gators won 45-7 over the Bulldogs. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_2311,h_1299/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01jn47d2fjc814gkhsvm.jpg "Florida Gators defensive back Jason Marshall Jr. (3) tackles Samford Bulldogs wide receiver Preston Bird (84) during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 7, 2024 against the Samford Bulldogs. The Florida Gators won 45-7 over the Bulldogs. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
The NFL Combine is underway, and Florida Football has a ton of representation in Indianapolis. With nine players in attendance, Florida has the 9th most players at the Combine.
The draft stock, though, for all nine is far from settled, and the following is the biggest selling point the nine players Florida has at the Combine have in their quest to be drafted in April.
Cam Jackson - Run Stopper
Defensive tackles can sometimes go unappreciated because they can get lost in the wash of the trenches. However, one of the reasons Florida's defense took over during the last four games of the season was Jackson's play.
Pro Football Focus graded Jackson as the 34th best run stopper in the country in 2024 of defensive tackles who took at least 150 snaps against the run.
Shemar James (LB) - Savant
A solid showing in the Combine could skyrocket James' draft stock. His calling card with Florida was his ability to command the defense, make sure everyone was aligned, and diagnose plays better than most.
Jeremy Crawshaw (P) - Hangtime
It's never easy for a punter to get drafted, but Crawshaw does have a decent chance of sneaking his way into a draft slot.
He had an average hangtime of 4.21 seconds in 2024, the 5th best hangtime in the country. He also had 27 punts downed inside the 20 against just four touchbacks.
Jason Marshall Jr. (DB) - Physical
Marshall started to live up to his one-time top draft billing in 2024, as he started to be unafraid of getting physical with opposing receivers. Prior to his season-ending injury against Kentucky, Marshall looked like a completely different player than what we saw in 2023.
Graham Mertz (QB) - Accuracy
Mertz may not have the deep ball to make it as a full-time QB in the NFL, but he is accurate enough at short to the intermediate range that he could be serviceable as a long-term backup QB for the right team.
Montrell Johnson Jr. (RB) - Vision
Like James, Johnson can boost his stock with a big-time showing at the Combine. His strength, which doesn't really translate in a combine setting, is his patience and vision to find the right gap to run through.
Elijhah Badger (WR) - Chameleon
Prior to the 2024 season, Bagder's calling card was as a catch-and-run type of receiver. In 2024, he emerged as a deep ball threat with one of the best yards per catch averages in the country.
That versatility should make him an option for a variety of offenses in the NFL.
Chimere Dike (WR) - Returner
Whether or not Dike makes it as a straight-up receiver is yet to be seen, though his late surge in 2024 will help his case. But what should help his case to make an NFL roster was his ability as a punt returner for Florida.
With the NFL looking to tweak their kickoffs further to encourage more returns, Dike should get some attention from NFL teams.
Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson (OL) - SEC Tested
Crenshaw-Dickson came to Florida with decent metrics, but that was in the confines of the Mountian West. Once he was inserted as the full-time starter, he held his own through the SEC slate and only gave up one sack during the year.