Las Vegas Raiders select Amari Burney in 6th round of 2023 NFL Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders have selected Amari Burney in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He put together an impressive career with the Gators.

Burney played five years in Gainesville, totaling 224 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks in that time. This past season was his best yet as he had 79 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks — all career-highs — to help anchor the Florida defense in Billy Napier’s first season at the helm.

Burney turned in the biggest performance of his career this past year when he had 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against Vanderbilt as Florida suffered a 31-24 loss to the Commodores. He also made a massive play in the season opener against Utah when he intercepted Cameron Rising in the end zone to seal the victory.

That performance garnered big-time praise from Napier afterward.

“Amari Burney is one of my favorite players on the team,” Napier said, via On3 and Gators Online’s Zach Abolverdi. “I mean, this guy’s played… like 1,600 snaps here, right? I call him ‘old man’ all the time. We’re thankful for Amari. He’s got character, he’s a great communicator. He makes the players around him better.

“He is a guy who, really, has risen to the occasion in terms of that position and what we needed. To see him, to see that guy make the play, I think that’s a special moment for that locker room because they love Amari Burney.”

Burney played high school football at Calvary Christian (Fla.), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 219 overall recruit in the 2018 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Amari Burney

Burney didn’t receive an invitation to the NFL scouting combine, but NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein said he might still be able to fit in the right scheme once he gets in the league.

“Burney is an aggressive linebacker with a well-built frame and good play speed, but he lacks the instincts to play with consistency,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s plenty fast and can beat blockers to the spot or chase down runners in the open field. He needs to work on his block take-on and might fit best as a weakside linebacker in a 4-3 defense. His ability to run with skill-position players in man coverage and potentially handle special teams reps help his cause.”