The NFL Draft has come and gone, and for the first time in Florida Gators history, they had someone selected in each round of the draft en route to seven players total. For the most part, Florida players probably feel like they had a pretty good weekend.
But not everyone walks away from this weekend claiming success, and there are those who had a good weekend and those who had a bad weekend.
Florida Gators who had a good weekend
- Caleb Banks
- Jake Slaughter
- Devin Moore
- George Gumbs
- Tommy Doman
Caleb Banks is the big winner from the weekend, as most mock drafts seemed to have given up on him and were starting to drop him out of the first round. Ultimately, the Minnesota Vikings weren’t scared off by his injuries and took Banks at No. 18 overall.
Likewise, Jake Slaughter had fourth-round projections floating around for him, so jumping up to the second round with the Los Angeles Chargers is a massive win. The one caveat is that most believe Slaughter will get slotted in at left guard once everything shakes out.
Devin Moore was able to overcome his poor showing at the NFL Combine, which was hampered by his recovery from a groin injury. He went to the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round and should get a shot at early playing time.
George Gumbs was projected around the fifth round, and that is ultimately where he went with the Indianapolis Colts. Like Moore, the Colts need help at EDGE and Gumbs should get an early shot at the field.
And even though we didn’t think Tommy Doman had a particularly great year with the Gators, that didn’t stop him from getting drafted to Buffalo. Getting drafted as a punter is always a win, though he will have to battle Mitch Wishnowsky for the roster spot.
Florida Gators who had a bad weekend
- Austin Barber
- Trey Smack
- Tyreak Sapp
- J. Michael Sturdivant
Austin Barber had a viral video showcasing his joy to get drafted, and considering he was projected around the third round, it’s hard to call this a “bad” weekend. But Cleveland used its first-round pick on a fellow offensive tackle, Spencer Fano, so as of now, Barber is viewed as a depth piece in Cleveland. Plus, he now has to step into the middle of the Shedeur Sanders circus.
Anytime a kicker gets drafted, it’s hard to call it a bad weekend. But there are two reasons why Green Bay might be a tough spot for Trey Smack. The first is that the Packers already have two kickers on their roster, including veteran Brandon McManus. Now, McManus isn’t in the best of graces after his playoff meltdown this past season. And if Smack does win the job, he now has to deal with the conditions of Green Bay versus the controlled environments of a dozen other places he could have landed.
Tyreak Sapp and J. Michael Sturdivant both went undrafted, which was expected. For Sapp, it’s such a massive fall off considering he was viewed as a potential first-round pick before the 2025 season began. He will be a UDFA with the Browns. Sturdivant had a decent NFL Combine and has the metrics to get a look as a UDFA with the Packers, but this weekend was a reminder of how he just never morphed back into the receiver who flashed in his freshman season at Cal.
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