The 2017 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and throughout the three-day event that ended Saturday, eight former Gators heard their names called. For the first time since 2010, Florida saw five of its players picked in the first 76 selections.
As is popular tradition, now football fans turn to the 2018 draft and speculate which players at the college level could draw interest from professional teams next year. The Gators, who have had 35 players selected in the draft over the past five years - with three of those years seeing eight Gators picked - should see some more notable names land in the draft following the 2017 campaign.
Today, we join in on the conversation take a way-too-early look at the players on Florida's current roster who could warrant interest from teams in the 2018 NFL Draft. There are some players we don't mention below who could work their way into the discussion with strong seasons in 2017, but for now we examine the candidates with at least slightly more extensive resumes.
OFFENSE:
Junior left tackle Martez Ivey: After he was hampered by knee and shoulder injuries during his freshman season, Ivey truly tapped his potential and stayed relatively healthy for the majority of the 2016 year. The former five-star recruit really found his groove, working mainly at left guard and at times left tackle while earning two SEC offensive lineman of the week honors. He remains a force in the run game, while his pass protection skills have improved. This upcoming season, Ivey will play primarily at left tackle, which could be a natural fit as he develops into a leader for Florida's O-line. Multiple 2018 mock drafts released in the past few days have Ivey projected as a mid-to-late first-rounder.
