Florida had only two players drafted a year ago — the Seattle Seahawks took Jaye Howard in the fourth round, and Chris Rainey went to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth.
The Miami Dolphins surpassed that total in the 2013 NFL Draft themselves, stockpiling three ex-Gators on Friday.
Outside linebacker Jelani Jenkins was the first former Florida player taken on Day 3, going to the Dolphins in the fourth round with the 104th overall pick. Miami selected running back Mike Gillislee in the fifth round with the No. 164 pick and grabbed kicker Caleb Sturgis two spots later.
“It has been a great weekend for Florida football,” coach Will Muschamp said. “I'm proud of all our players who had life-long dreams realized by getting drafted. They certainly have worked very hard and dedicated themselves to get to this point in their careers.
“I look forward to watching them and continuing to have them be a part of our program.”
Miami’s hoarding of Gators is relatively unprecedented, having happened just twice since the NFL draft was reduced to seven rounds in 1993. The New England Patriots took three former Florida players in 2010, and the Chicago Bears used four picks on Gators in 2003.
Jenkins was the most questionable of the four Gators who chose to leave school early following a junior season riddled with injuries.
After suffering a broken right thumb in Florida’s second game of the season — a 20-17 victory against Texas A&M on Sept. 8 — Jenkins was hampered by hamstring and foot injuries that limited him to only nine games last season.
In 36 career games, Jenkins totaled 182 tackles, including 16.5 going for a loss, six sacks and three interceptions. He scored his only touchdown of the season in Florida’s 27-20 win against Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 10. After Loucheiz Purifoy deflected an attempted punt, Jenkins scooped up the ball and returned it 36 yards for the game-winning score.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Jenkins’ health, teams coveted his athleticism and ability to drop into coverage. ESPN’s Todd McShay graded him as the best cover linebacker in this year’s draft.
“I think I tackle real well, and I also cover real well,” Jenkins said. “Those are both things that I know I’m going to get better at as time goes by more so. I think I have a lot of ability. I have a lot of hope for the future knowing I’m going to get better. I’m looking forward to that.”
Minimally used through his first three seasons, Gillislee capped his Florida career with the seventh-best rushing total in program history in 2012-13. He toted the ball 244 times for 1,152 yards — becoming the first UF running back to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark since 2004 — and 10 touchdowns. His 88.6 yards per game were fourth in the Southeastern Conference.
Miami is looking to replace starting tailback Reggie Bush, who signed with the Detroit Lions during the offseason. Gillislee could fill the role while splitting time with third-year back Daniel Thomas and second-year back Lamar Miller.
“It’s been tough, but everything is worth it,” Gillislee said. “I just stayed focused and stayed humble.”
Sturgis, the most successful kicker in Florida history, will compete with Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter. Carpenter has been Miami’s starter since 2008 and has made at least 73 percent of his tries each season.
Sturgis ended his college career 70 for 88, the most made field goals in UF history. He also holds the single-season record, making 24 tries in 2012-13.
“Coming into the league, you know you have to compete against the best,” Sturgis said. “I’ve seen Dan kick and he’s got an unbelievable leg. He’s an unbelievable kicker, and I just can’t wait to get in and compete against him.
“I’m so thankful for the opportunity more than anything.”
Safety Josh Evans was the only other former Florida player selected on Friday. The Jacksonville Jaguars took Evans with the first pick of the sixth round, No. 169 overall, capping a span of three former Gators taken in six picks.
Eight Gators were chosen in total, one short of tying UF’s modern record for players taken in a single draft.
Undrafted Gators: Although undrafted, several former Gators will still have a chance to make an NFL team next season.
Per multiple reports, offensive tackle Xavier Nixon signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Washington Redskins, linebacker Lerentee McCray signed with the Denver Broncos, defensive tackle Omar Hunter signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, wide receiver Omarius Hines signed with the Baltimore Ravens and defensive end Earl Okine signed with the Houston Texans.
Contact Phil Heilman at pheilman@alligator.org.
Jelani Jenkins (3) returns an interception during Florida’s 37-26 win against Florida State on Nov. 24 at Doak Campbell Stadium. Jenkins was one of three former Gators chosen by the Miami Dolphins on Friday.
