Florida Gators Seven-Round 2023 NFL Mock Draft 1.0

All Gators makes its first attempt to project where Florida's prospects will be selected throughout the 2023 NFL Draft.

The first few waves of NFL free agency have crashed onto the 2023 offseason and left many looking forward to the upcoming NFL Draft, as most premier players are now off the market. 

With Florida having officially scheduled its 2023 pro day for March 30, there is no better time for All Gators to roll out its first Florida Gators-centric mock draft of the 2023 offseason.

We used Pro Football Focus's mock draft simulator to conduct this seven-round projection, which allows computer-generated trades. Advanced settings determining the draft board (public vs. PFF), weight of positional value and drafting for needs were set at the median level, while the randomness factor was set to minimal. 

Of UF's 11 draft-eligible prospects, nine were called upon throughout this mock. Considering the projections were automated, All Gators has provided additional analysis of each mock draft pick.

QB Anthony Richardson: Indianapolis Colts, first round, No. 4 overall

Richardson's performance at the NFL Combine has put him in the conversation to become this year's first-overall pick. But in this exercise, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud earned that honor while Alabama signal-caller Bryce Young made his way to Houston at No. 2. 

Indianapolis, the next team in need of a quarterback on the board, gets Richardson at No. 4 without having to make a move after Arizona took Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson at No. 3. 

And while Richardson's 4.43-second 40-yard dash, record-breaking jumps and obvious rushing production at 6-foot-4, 244 pounds have gripped everyone's attention, the Colts have plenty of reason to be enticed by Richardson's promise as a passer in their own right.  

Their scouting staff, which remains intact despite the team's offseason head coaching change, has arguably seen Richardson at his best in that respect more than any team in the NFL.

The Colts sent a scout to four Florida games during the 2022 season: Utah, LSU, Texas A&M and South Carolina. Richardson completed 60 percent of his passes for 666 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions and added 389 yards and seven touchdowns rushing in those four games.

New Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen played a crucial role in Jalen Hurts' ascension with the Eagles, a similarly-dynamic dual-threat passer who earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2022 while Philadelphia made a run to the Super Bowl. While being a young head coach at 37 years old, Steichen's recent success suggests he's qualified to develop Richardson at the next level. 

iOL O'Cyrus Torrence: Jacksonville Jaguars, first round, No. 27 overall (trade with Buffalo Bills)

After sliding back three spots in a trade with the Buffalo Bills, who moved up for Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith, Jacksonville secures Torrence to pair with former first-team All-Pro Brandon Scherff at guard on the Jaguars' offensive line, both tasked with protecting franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence. 

To complete the trade, Buffalo sent Jacksonville its third-round pick (No. 91 overall) in exchange for the Jaguars' second fourth-round selection (No. 127 overall). 

The Jaguars had personnel at four Florida games in 2022, with two scouts present at three: Utah, Kentucky (x2), Georgia (x2) and South Carolina (x2). Torrence allowed just four quarterback pressures across 265 offensive snaps in those matchups and earned run-blocking grades above 80.0 (considered high-quality) in three of the four games, per PFF. 

Of course, the 6-foot-5, 330-pound Torrence did not allow a sack in those performances, on par with every other game he started in his four-year college career between three seasons at Louisiana and one at Florida.

DL Gervon Dexter Sr.: Dallas Cowboys, third round. No. 90 overall

Dexter is a candidate to be selected much higher than the backend of the third round after his impressive showing at the NFL Combine, where he posted a 91st-percentile 4.88-second 40-yard dash and vertical and broad jumps within the 70-percentile range among defensive linemen since 1999.

However, the simulation ended up providing Dexter with a pretty solid team fit in Dallas. Star defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, 30, has produced just nine sacks in the last two seasons combined and hasn't reached the double-digit mark since 2018. 

Dexter would be selected as Lawrence's potential long-term replacement at defensive end but could play across the Cowboys' defensive line early in his career thanks to his positional versatility and 6-foot-6, 310-pound frame. His massive presence and impressive athleticism would demand attention and make All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons' job as a pass rusher even easier.

The Cowboys sent a scout to one Florida game in 2022, the Gators' matchup with South Carolina. Dexter tallied three tackles, half a sack and three quarterback pressures (per PFF) against the Gamecocks. 

EDGE Brenton Cox Jr.: Atlanta Falcons, fifth round, No. 150 overall (trade with Washington Commanders)

In this scenario, the Falcons move up from the No. 159 overall selection to select an area native in Cox, who played prep ball at Stockbridge (Ga.) High. 

This might come as a surprise as Cox was dismissed by the Gators before his fifth-year campaign came to an end, but his flashes of promise off of the edge could justify the use of a day three selection. And after interior lineman Grady Jarrett led the Falcons with just six sacks in 2022, Atlanta should take all of the pass rush help it can get.

A former consensus five-star prospect who originally signed with Georgia, Cox produced a breakout campaign in 2021 with 8.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss despite his offseason training being limited due to surgery for a Jones fracture in his left foot. He averaged a tackle for loss per game in 2022 before being removed from the team. 

Falcons personnel attended three Florida games in 2022 but only witnessed Cox against Kentucky and LSU. He combined for five tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and eight quarterback pressures (per PFF) in those two matchups.

DB Rashad Torrence II: Los Angeles Rams. fifth round, No. 171 overall

Torrence declared for the draft as an underclass prospect following three seasons at Florida, with 34 appearances and 28 starts under his belt after being thrown into the lineup in Week 1 of his 2020 freshman season. He was immediately and consistently productive, collecting 80+ tackles in both of his starting campaigns with career highs in interceptions (three) and pass breakups (five) in 2021.

If Torrence had paired his box score with a strong showing at the NFL Combine, his status as a prospect could be trending much higher. However, he came in undersized for his position without a redeeming athletic testing result aside from 20 reps on the bench press, leaving much to be desired.

In this mock, Los Angeles opts to trust Torrence's on-field production and secures his services in the middle of day three. The Rams operated similarly when they selected former UF wide receiver Van Jefferson in the second round in 2020, believing in what he put on tape with the Gators despite his lack of NFL Combine results due to an injury. He remains with the team to this day. 

The Rams sent a scout to two Florida games in 2022: Kentucky and Georgia. Torrence recorded 18 tackles and allowed two receptions for 16 yards on five targets in coverage (per PFF) between those matchups. 

DB Trey Dean III: Las Vegas Raiders, fifth round, No. 174 overall

Dean's 4.75-second 40-yard dash was certainly disappointing, but it overshadows promising results in other drills that make him an intriguing prospect. A big-bodied defensive back at 6-foot-2, his vertical and broad jumps were above-average for safeties and his 25 reps on the bench press rank in the 96th percentile at his position.

And while Dean was an inconsistent player across five years with the Gators, he quietly put together 165 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 12 pass breakups over his final 25 games in orange and blue. Those are draftable numbers, at a bare minimum with a special teams future in mind for the Hampton, Ga. product.

Raiders scouts watched two Florida games in 2022, Tennessee and South Carolina, with general manager Dave Ziegler notably in attendance when the Gators took on the Volunteers. Dean compiled seven tackles and a fumble recovery while allowing five completions on as many coverage targets for 101 yards (per PFF) in those games.

Not to mention, the Raiders had a front-row seat when Dean earned Defensive MVP honors at February's East-West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas, Nev.

LB Ventrell Miller: Detroit Lions, sixth round, No. 194 overall

This slot might seem low for Miller, rightfully considered by teammates and coaches to be the heart of Florida's defense over the last few seasons. However, Miller's draft process has been hampered by an injury, much like his 2021 redshirt senior season, and he comes into the league quite undersized for his position as a sub-6-foot linebacker. Without testing numbers to boost his profile, Miller could fall down the board. 

Still, Miller was undoubtedly productive while healthy during his six years with the Gators, showcasing a knack for making plays in the backfield and stopping the run when seemingly no one else on Florida's defense could. Detroit, which has fielded former UF linebackers such as Alex Anzalone, James Houston IV, Jarrad Davis and Jon Bostic in the last decade, could benefit from Miller's skill set in the later rounds.

The Lions were one of Florida's most frequent observers in 2022, attending the Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt games. Miller accumulated 32 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and five quarterback pressures in those matchups while giving up nine receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets in coverage (per PFF).

WR Justin Shorter: Tennessee Titans, seventh round, No. 228 overall

Tennessee appears to be on the verge of a rebuild and work has already gotten underway on the offensive side of the ball. Gone are 2021 and 2022 leading receivers A.J. Brown and Robert Woods and quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who missed five games last season, could be next to leave barring a huge turnaround in 2023. 

Tannehill, or whoever the Titans' next quarterback might be, will need pass-catching reinforcements as a result of the team's wide receiver room turnover. Shorter, 6-foot-4, 229 pounds, could offer his next passer a big-bodied deep threat after averaging a career-high 19.9 yards per reception during his 2022 season. 

Titans personnel viewed four Florida games live in 2022: Kentucky, LSU, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt (x2). Shorter caught 13 passes for 203 yards and one touchdown across three of those games, missing the Gators' bout with the Aggies due to a hamstring injury.

OT Richard Gouraige: Indianapolis Colts, seventh round, No. 236 overall

Fittingly, Richardson's blindside protector at Florida joins him in Indianapolis to conclude this mock draft as Gouraige is the final Gator to come off the board.

The Colts were able to observe Gouraige just as often as Richardson in 2022, as he was on the field for 216 offensive snaps in Florida games that Indianapolis scouts attended. He allowed zero sacks and gave up a combined six quarterback pressures in those games, per PFF. 

While Gouraige is a slightly undersized offensive tackle prospect, he was nearly a four-year starter for Florida and gave up just five career sacks, per PFF, primarily blocking for Richardson and 2020 Heisman Trophy finalist Kyle Trask. Gouraige also put together an impressive showing in front of NFL personnel at the Senior Bowl in February. This projection might be too low.

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