The 2023 NFL draft is officially in the books. The seven round event, which is a massive spectacle, wrapped up Saturday afternoon in Kansas City. In total, 10 Florida college players were drafted by NFL teams.
The University of Florida had the most players drafted. Six Gators were selected. Two of them were in the second round. Next, the University of Miami had three players drafted. Finally, the Florida State Seminoles had one player selected, early on the last day.
Although the big three Florida teams typically lead the way in delivering NFL talent each year, there is usually another Sunshine State school that has a player picked. That was not the case this year. Division one programs like the University of South Florida or University of Central Florida did not have anyone selected. It is likely they will have players who are offered a tryout, however.
Who’s Going to the NFL?
Quarterback Anthony Richardson from the Florida Gators was the fourth named off the board. It was well-known coming into the draft that Richardson would be a high pick. With his natural size, speed, and athletic ability, Richardson was projected to be a highly sought-after prospect for the past year. He only started 13 games in college. Nonetheless, the Indianapolis Colts clearly loved what they saw and started the run of Florida student-athletes entering the NFL this year.
To break down the draft class further, four of the 10 players are offensive positions, and six of the players are defenders. To start, Richardson was the only quarterback of the group. Furthermore, Richardson’s teammate, Ventrell Miller, will be the only one staying in-state. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected him in the fourth round, and subsequently, will only have to move about 75 miles north.
In short, here is a complete rundown of the 10 Florida school players that were drafted by NFL teams in this year’s event.
