Going Pro
Only three Gators got picked up in the NFL draft this weekend, and all were juniors who declared early. Seniors Mike Degory (or any other of the offensive linemen), Jarvis Herring, Vernel Brown, and Todd McCullogh will all have to break in as free agents if they hope to catch on at the next level.
Chad Jackson I have already remarked on. He was rumored to be a first rounder after posting a great 40 time at the combine (I never saw a speedburner on the field), possibly the first WR taken in a weak draft class. I did not believe he deserved to be a first rounder. After all his was guy who despite leading the SEC in catches did not impress the other coaches in the league enough to be voted 1st team All-SEC. I don’t want to bash Chad (I’m not really out to get our guys, I thought teams were foolish to let C-4 slide into the 4th round last year), he can be an NFL starter, but just not a #1 option (and thus not a first round pick) – put him opposite someone and he will work out quite well. As it turned out that is exactly what happened. He did not go in the first round, but only one receiver did and not until very late (25th pick). However Jackson was the second WR off the board to the New England Patriots with the fourth pick in the second round. This is the perfect spot for him as he will not be the #1 guy; that would be Tom Brady’s favorite Deion Branch. The Pats offense is loaded with a solid OL, Corey Dillon and their first round pick, Laurence Maroney, at running back, and up and comer Ben Watson at TE. He doesn’t have to be a savior in New England and will have plenty of support as Head Coach Bill Belichick personally came to Gainesville to scout him (meaning if the Pats picked him he’s Bill’s guy). Hopefully he will succeed and end the UF receivers always flop in the NFL stereotype.
The other guy for home there was some buzz was my old favorite cornerback Dee Webb. He decided to come out after hearing he would be a first or second round pick (read: well paid), sure to be in the top 50. He fell well beyond that point, not even getting taken in the first three rounds At the end of the first day ESPN’s draft guru Mel Kiper listed him as eighth of his ten best players still available. He was 71 on Mel’s overall list (at this point there had been 97 picks). Apparently NFL scouts disagreed because he plummeted to the seventh (and last round) before mercifully being picked by Jacksonville with the 236th pick overall (there are only 255 picks in the draft). I was shocked, while I knew he was nowhere near a first round talent, he was a good two-year starter in the SEC (even if he tailed off at the end of last season). I’m not sure why he fell, maybe he did not workout well (I thought heard he did okay – at least speedwise) or interviewed poorly. Mouthing off to the police during that whole AK-47 incident surely didn’t help. What I heard was that general consensus was that he was really raw and should not have come out. Oh well, maybe I will get to see him on the locally broadcast Jags games next year. Seventh-rounders don’t usually play much, but other than the best young corner in the game (Rashean Mathis) the Jags secondary is hardly stellar. Poor Dee. No one ends up a winner, we lose our best coverman and he gets a cold dose of reality and a small contract.
Defensive end Jeremy Mincey was the only other Gator taken. He will join Jackson in New England after being picked up in the middle of the sixth round (pick 191) by the Patriots. Jeremy was always steady (and sort of a team leader), but never spectacular – as the lack of interest in him attests. I have no idea why he decided to go pro, I originally thought he was a senior and had to. Maybe Belichick saw something in him when he was down here for UF’s Proday. He will be a rotation player for the Pats at best, they don’t have a shortage of quality defensive linemen (or pass rushing linebackers).
Chad Jackson I have already remarked on. He was rumored to be a first rounder after posting a great 40 time at the combine (I never saw a speedburner on the field), possibly the first WR taken in a weak draft class. I did not believe he deserved to be a first rounder. After all his was guy who despite leading the SEC in catches did not impress the other coaches in the league enough to be voted 1st team All-SEC. I don’t want to bash Chad (I’m not really out to get our guys, I thought teams were foolish to let C-4 slide into the 4th round last year), he can be an NFL starter, but just not a #1 option (and thus not a first round pick) – put him opposite someone and he will work out quite well. As it turned out that is exactly what happened. He did not go in the first round, but only one receiver did and not until very late (25th pick). However Jackson was the second WR off the board to the New England Patriots with the fourth pick in the second round. This is the perfect spot for him as he will not be the #1 guy; that would be Tom Brady’s favorite Deion Branch. The Pats offense is loaded with a solid OL, Corey Dillon and their first round pick, Laurence Maroney, at running back, and up and comer Ben Watson at TE. He doesn’t have to be a savior in New England and will have plenty of support as Head Coach Bill Belichick personally came to Gainesville to scout him (meaning if the Pats picked him he’s Bill’s guy). Hopefully he will succeed and end the UF receivers always flop in the NFL stereotype.
The other guy for home there was some buzz was my old favorite cornerback Dee Webb. He decided to come out after hearing he would be a first or second round pick (read: well paid), sure to be in the top 50. He fell well beyond that point, not even getting taken in the first three rounds At the end of the first day ESPN’s draft guru Mel Kiper listed him as eighth of his ten best players still available. He was 71 on Mel’s overall list (at this point there had been 97 picks). Apparently NFL scouts disagreed because he plummeted to the seventh (and last round) before mercifully being picked by Jacksonville with the 236th pick overall (there are only 255 picks in the draft). I was shocked, while I knew he was nowhere near a first round talent, he was a good two-year starter in the SEC (even if he tailed off at the end of last season). I’m not sure why he fell, maybe he did not workout well (I thought heard he did okay – at least speedwise) or interviewed poorly. Mouthing off to the police during that whole AK-47 incident surely didn’t help. What I heard was that general consensus was that he was really raw and should not have come out. Oh well, maybe I will get to see him on the locally broadcast Jags games next year. Seventh-rounders don’t usually play much, but other than the best young corner in the game (Rashean Mathis) the Jags secondary is hardly stellar. Poor Dee. No one ends up a winner, we lose our best coverman and he gets a cold dose of reality and a small contract.
Defensive end Jeremy Mincey was the only other Gator taken. He will join Jackson in New England after being picked up in the middle of the sixth round (pick 191) by the Patriots. Jeremy was always steady (and sort of a team leader), but never spectacular – as the lack of interest in him attests. I have no idea why he decided to go pro, I originally thought he was a senior and had to. Maybe Belichick saw something in him when he was down here for UF’s Proday. He will be a rotation player for the Pats at best, they don’t have a shortage of quality defensive linemen (or pass rushing linebackers).
posted by El Breto @ 12:52 AM
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