What they're saying about every Florida Gators player to get drafted

Six Florida Gators were chosen in the 2023 NFL Draft, which was among the most players picked in college football. In fact, that number tied Florida for fourth highest by a college. Additionally, it tied for third best in the SEC.

The selection of Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson, who went No. 4 overall to the Colts, created lots of buzz. But much also was said about the five other Gators selected.

Here’s a sampling from across the country …

Anthony Richardson, QB, Colts (1st round, No. 4 overall)

-“You get better by playing. I mean, practice and preseason games and watching in a quarterback room, that’s great. But, man, I’ll tell you, he’d get better by playing, and it’s something that it is really important. Because, again, his development [is] so much of a key to the franchise’s future. It is the critical key. “Everyone knows that him developing into an outstanding, great player in this league is going to determine where we go and how far we go and how long we have excellence. So, everything’s going to be based around that.” — Colts owner Jim Irsay

Gervon Dexter, Gators DT, Bears (2nd round, No. 53)

-“Playing a position where statistics rarely tell the whole story, Dexter recorded 9 ½ tackles for loss and 4 ½ sacks in his college career, blocking four passes and somehow intercepting two balls. His best game might have come in December’s Las Vegas Bowl, when he posted five tackles against Oregon State.

The Bears showed interest in veteran defensive tackles during free agency. Javon Hargrave and Dre’Mont Jones both proved too pricey for the rebuilding team. And then (they) passed on Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter in Round 1. Dexter plays a position that head coach Matt Eberflus considers the engine of his defense and will be given a chance to play right away.” — Chicago Sun-Times

-“You’d probably like to see more production from Dexter. But defensive line stats can be overrated in college depending on a player’s role. The Bears certainly have looked at the tape to see how Dexter handled SEC offensive linemen. Dane Brugler writes that Dexter “must develop a more disciplined approach to turn the flashes into more consistent play, but he is an agile, coordinated big man who has yet to play his best football. He is a traits-based projection who can play up and down the line.” — The Athletic

-“Huge and effortlessly powerful. Can play anywhere up and down the DL. Bull rush master. Difficult to move. Has to build out pass-rush move arsenal. Exquisite specific addition to the middle of Chicago’s defense.” — CBS Sports

O’Cyrus Torrence, OG, Bills (2nd round, No. 59)

-“Torrence is a big, powerful man on the inside and he is a natural people mover at the position with the flexibility to control his man once he reaches the spot. One of the issues with Torrence’s game is how ineffective he is as a puller. He won’t have to worry about that quite as much with the Bills where blocking angles and generating movement are two of the most key aspects in their zone run game.” — Buffalo Rumblings

-“Torrence is a 6-foot-5, 330-pound road grader who should be able to come in and push Ryan Bates for the starting job at right guard. While veteran free agents Connor McGovern and David Edwards battle it out on the left side.” — Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Ventrell Miller, Gators LB, Jaguars (4th round, No. 121)

-“Miller joins a linebacker corps that already includes Devin Lloyd, Foyesade Oluokun, Chad Muma, and Shaquille Quarterman. At Florida, Miller showed great tackling skillsand the ability to play zone. However, his limited athleticism was on display when he tried to get to the edge in run support. The fact that the Jags’ are stacked at linebacker could make it potentially difficult to get playing time early in his career. Even if he shines in training camp, it’s hard to see him being more than a role player early in his NFL career.” — Black & Teal

-“On the field, Miller is a solid coverage linebacker who has the speed to carry pass-catchers down the field and has solid ball skills. His change of direction is a bit of an issue in man coverage, but he’s decent at reading the quarterback’s eyes, which will help him fit into a zone-heavy system.” — Bleacher Report

Justin Shorter, WR, Bills (5th round, No. 150)

-“Shorter never found his footing in college after the insane hype as a recruit. But you can’t teach his 6’4”, 230-pound frame, and having enough speed to threaten in the final third of the field. The Bills needed a backup X-receiver on the roster, and Shorter’s game resembles current starting X Gabriel Davis in many ways. He falls short as a route runner and his massive frame doesn’t come souped up with natural fluidity. Despite the size and recruiting pedigree, his agility fails short and, subsequently, the short-area route running is non-existent. If Shorter does see the field on offense, it’s safe to assume that the massive target will have a bloated average-depth-of-target trying to take the top off the defense in tracking the football.” — Buffalo Rumblings

Amari Burney, LB, Raiders (6th round, No. 203)

-“It’s his six pass breakups and two interceptions that could intrigue the Raiders as coverage linebackers are a valuable commodity in today’s increasingly nickel defense NFL.” — Raiders Wire

-“Burney has excellent speed as well, and that should help him be a solid depth linebacker for the Silver and Black. Not many sixth-round picks make an instant impact as rookies, but Burney plays a position that should net him a long look this summer.” — Just Blog Baby