NFL Draft: Two New Gators Coaches See Former Players Go in Top Ten

Florida's Corey Raymond and Keary Colbert had plenty to celebrate about on Thursday night, in addition to Gators cornerback Kaiir Elam getting drafted in the first round.

Photo: Corey Raymond; Credit: Alex Shepherd 

Although only one Florida Gators prospect heard their name called in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday evening, cornerback Kaiir Elam, UF's new coaching staff can take some credit for another two players who were selected within the top ten picks.

To start, cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond, who spent ten years at UF's SEC rival LSU before joining the Gators, saw his former Tigers consensus All-American corner Derek Stingley be selected No. 3 overall by the Houston Texans.

Raymond attended Stingley's draft party on Thursday and shared his excitement to see the three-year Tiger break into the top three picks, although, Raymond may be on Stingley's bad side at the moment for throwing up a Gators' chomp in a celebratory video with Stingley.

ALL LOVE…… pic.twitter.com/IK7YZ92oPm

— Corey Raymond (@CoachCRaymond) April 29, 2022

Stingley is the second cornerback (Tre White, 2017) and fourth defensive back that Raymond developed into a first-round pick during his tenure with the Tigers, and the 12th defensive back he's directly coached into becoming a draft pick in general throughout his time at LSU.

New Gators wide receivers coach Keary Colbert can also brag about a top ten pick, as his latest pro product from USC was selected by the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8 overall, wide receiver Drake London.

Colbert attended the draft with London and his family on Thursday night, receiving credit for London's development by the NFL Network on-air team once London walked on stage to meet commissioner Roger Goodell.

Just three short years apart for @DrakeLondon_
(from @kearycolbert’s IG) pic.twitter.com/lSO89Z4Lxd

— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) April 28, 2022

London is the third wide receiver that Colbert coached at Souther California to be selected in the NFL Draft from his three-year tenure with the Trojans, joining Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021, fourth round, Detroit Lions) and Michael Pittman Jr. (2020, second round, Indianapolis Colts).

Both Stingley and London were the first prospects selected at their positions this year.

Raymond and Colbert joined the Gators coaching staff in December under new head coach Billy Napier. The hope is these two coaches can take recruiting and player development at their positions to the next level and continue to crank out first-round talent as they did on Thursday.

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