Earlier this year, I posted my thoughts about UF's talent level being vastly over-rated and many doubted this fact. Here we are on the NFL draft weekend and consider these tidbits: 1-UF had 20 Seniors who are elligible for the draft this year and none were drafted thru the first 3 rounds. 2-The UF seniors included 4-OL; 2-TE; & 1-DL. None have been drafted into the 4th round of the draft. UF graduated virtually an entire OL and none were selected thru 4 NFL draft rounds. NONE. 3-Channing Crowder (Soph-LB) was the 1st UF player taken in the draft and he went in the 3rd round with the overall #70 pick by Miami and Saban. 4-Ciatric Fason (Soph-RB) was the second UF player drafted and he was selected in the 4th round by Minnesota. I always thought that UF's talent was far over-rated and was particularly suspect on both the OL & DL. The occurances so far in the NFL draft certainly point to the lack of talent at Florida and the talent level at UF is still down compared to the better SEC teams. At this time, UF's talent level is about good enough to be 6-5 or 7-4 which is exactly what they were. remember, this class was a Spurrier class and there were suspicions when Spurrier was in his last couple of years at UF that his recruiting had slipped considerably and that Spurrier left before UF "hit the skids". It certainly looks like that may have been the case. Here's an article regarding UF's draft possibilities which is pretty accurate. See link. http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050423/GATORS01/50423002/1011
Crowder would have gone higher but there were questions regarding his knee...He was probably a 1st rounder otherwise...and had this draft not been so running back heavy, Fason would have gone higher as well... Stop and think about the fact that 3 running backs went in the Top 5, and that's the first time it's ever happened...This draft was tailback top heavy...
And what about the 20 friggin' SENIORS who haven't been drafted? I wasn't talking about the UNDERCLASSMEN such as Fason & Crowder. I was talking about the entire 20 man Sr. class not getting hardly any interest at all from the NFL. This is the last class recruited by Spurrier and look at it. 4-OL; 2-TE; 1-DL and no interest in them in the draft. Did you read the linked article which stated that there was not ONE NFL head coach who went to Florida to look over their Seniors or draft elligible players? Did you read where there were 60-70 fewer NFL assistants at Floria this year looking at their players? I guess all 32 NFL teams, GM's, Head Coaches, and Assistants are all wrong. Like I said earlier this year, UFs talent has been over-rated and it still is going into next season. There is a definite weakness on UF's team on both lines. UF has middle of the pack SEC talent and the NFL draft is confirming this fact.
Re: And what about the 20 friggin' SENIORS who haven't been drafted? Friend of mine gave me his Insiders Account on the UF board and one of their writers said NFL scouts the last two years have been very disappointed with the talent decline at UF
Re: And what about the 20 friggin' SENIORS who haven't been drafted? but you mentioned the both by name and draft position scratches head....
OK, let me draw you a picture........... The reason I mentioned Fason & Crowder is that they ARE underclassmen yet were the first & second UF players taken in the draft. Even though Fason & Crowder were declaring early for the draft as Sophomores, they were only drafted in the 3rd & 4th rounds. That is pretty damn low for players who choose to come out this early. That being said, the two sophomores were drafted far ahead of any of the other 20 draft elligible UF players who were all Seniors, many of which were starters and contributors on UF's team last year. Basicly the entire Florida Senior class has gone undrafted and that includes almost an entire OL. That is a sign of a lack of talent on a team when that many Senior players are "passed over" by all 32 NFL teams. Even getting drafted in the 7th round is almost worthless and it is in fact probably better to be a free agent if you aren't drafted by the 5th or 6th rounds because at that point you can select a team which may be needy at your specific position which would give you a better chance of sticking with a team. When two sophompres come out early and are a schools best players in the draft but they are only selected in the 3rd & 4th rounds, it doesn't say much for your 4 year players.
My guess is that the UF fans are blaming Zook for not developing the players. But my guess is that everyone outside of the Gator fans was right when thinking that Spurrier was tired of the recruiting game as well as college football in and coaching Florida. Zooks players will probably be drafted higher than Spurrier's were.
