More than a half dozen Gators could hear their name called in 2025 NFL Draft

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — After a first-round pick for five straight years and 11 of the last 12, UF’s first-round streak will end in the 2025 NFL Draft. But following just one draft pick last year, more than a half dozen Florida Gators could hear their names called over the next few days.

The 2025 NFL Draft begins on Thursday in Green Bay, Wisconsin, at 8 p.m. ET and will be available on NFL Network, NFL+, ESPN and ESPN2. Rounds 2 and 3 take place Friday at 7 p.m. ET and the final rounds will be on Saturday starting at noon ET.

UF has six players with multiple mock draft projections, and three more players are included in at least one mock draft.

“We got great, rave reviews from all the NFL organizations about this group as a whole, in terms of how they prepared, how they performed so far, the interview process,” Florida coach Billy Napier said. “So, I’m really proud of this group.”

Napier had six players selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Gators have produced at least a half dozen draft picks three times in the last five years and five draftees in eight of the past 10 years.

RELATED: Florida Gators and the NFL Draft: A historical overview

The first UF player off the board this week could be defensive lineman Cam Jackson. He has received multiple mock draft projections for the fifth round and a fourth-round pick from The Athletic.

“Cam made a huge step,” Napier said. “He used his length this year. The film speaks for itself. Interior player that I think really increased his pass rush value.

“You know, 6-foot-6, 322. That doesn’t fall off the trees. So, somebody is going to get a really good player. Cam’s grown up quite a bit in his journey here.”

Also pegged as fourth-round picks are offensive lineman Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson and cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., whose projections range from as high as the fourth round to the seventh.

Marshall was a four-year starter at UF, recording 98 tackles, 26 PBUs and three turnovers (two INTs) in his careers. After a season-ending injury in 2024, he ran a 4.49 at the NFL Combine and a 4.43 at Pro Day.

“Great for Jason to be healthy. I thought he did a good job in Indy,” Napier said. “(Pro Day) was a good step in the right direction to be able to do the position work. … And the way he was playing prior to the injury, I think he’s an NFL starter.”

Both Florida receivers should be drafted

Linebacker Shemar James, who declared early for the draft, has received fifth- and sixth-round projections along with wide receiver Chimere Dike. Fellow senior WR Elijhah Badger is also pegged in the sixth round. James was second on the team in 2024 with 64 tackles.

Badger and Dike were UF’s leading receivers last season. Badger posted team highs in receiving yards (803), touchdowns (4) and yards per catch (20.67), which ranked No. 5 nationally. Dike led the Gators with 42 catches for 783 yards — both career highs — with two touchdowns.

“We had Chim longer than Elijhah, but I think that the growth that both showed. One glaring stat, Chim Dike increased his max velocity seven times in the offseason. He gained 11 pounds of lean muscle. I thought his skill level went to a different level and he showed position flex,” Napier said of Dike, who ran a 4.34 at the combine.

“And in Badger, just the development that’s on film. I wish we had him another year. I really think he could make a huge jump. So, a value pick that I think could really be even better a year from now. I thought (wide receivers) coach (Billy) G(onzalez) did a great job with both players.”

RELATED: Mock draft projections for Florida Gators in the 2025 NFL Draft

Running back Montrell Johnson Jr could be the seventh draft pick for the Gators. Johnson rushed for 3,089 yards and 33 touchdowns in four years — three at Florida. He also 411 receiving yards and two more scores.

Johnson impressed at the NFL Combine with a 40-yard dash time of 4.41 seconds. He is projected as a seventh-round pick by NFL Network.

“I think he proved in Indy that some of that finishing speed that we saw in the SEC is real. Running a 4.41, but another guy that’s really dominated the interview process. Really good reviews in that regard,” Napier said. “Montrell is a good player. He’ll play for a while.”

Quarterback Graham Mertz and punter Jeremy Crawshaw were also invited to the NFL Combine. Crawshaw has a sixth-round projection from CBS Sports, while some NFL coaches think Mertz has a chance to get drafted.

Defensive back Trikweze Bridges didn’t get invited to Indy could get drafted this weekend. The NFL Network projects him as a seventh-round pick. He led the Gators with 70 tackles last season and ran a 4.38 at Florida’s Pro Day.

“I was a little disappointed. In my opinion, I felt like he was a no-brainer combine player,” Napier said of Bridges. “The way he finished the year, the position, flexibility, the height, length, speed, matchup player throw-in. … He may not have made it to the combine, but I do think that these teams do their homework and the film speaks for itself.”

Other NFL hopefuls for the Gators include defensive linemen Desmond Watson and Joey Slackman, linebackers R.J. Moten and Derek Wingo, wide receiver Ja’Quavion Fraziars and EDGE Ja’Markis Weston.