In a heartfelt letter on Florida’s team website, redshirt junior Alex Anzalone announced that he’d be forgoing his final season of eligibility and declaring for the 2017 NFL Draft.

Inside the Gators now takes a look at what this all means with an Impact Analysis.

WHAT THIS DECISION MEANS FOR ANZALONE

Anzalone had a tough decision on his hands. With this move, the former five-star recruit from the 2013 class is likely to land as a mid-to-late round pick in the 2017 draft. If he had stayed at Florida for one more season, there was the chance that he could have suffered another injury, which would have been a blow to his hopes of making good money and playing at the professional level.

When Anzalone was available for Florida, he was a solid contributor in the linebacker rotation – especially during the past two seasons, where he truly blossomed as a football player. However, shoulder and arm injuries forced Anzalone to miss 17 of 27 games in 2015 and 2016 combined.