Several former Gators making their NFL debut tonight

Here's your primer on former Gators making their NFL debut tonight.

The NFL preseason kicks off in full force tonight, and with that, several former Florida Gators will be making their first appearance as professional football players.

Third-round pick edge rusher Jachai Polite will be the first Gator to kick off their career, as his New York Jets take on the neighboring New York Giants at 7 P.M. Polite was considered a first-round talent on tape, but had a disappointing draft process that slid him into the third round.

New York sees the talent in Polite, though, and he's flashed a good bit of it in training camp. The team has moved Polite to the second-team after he recorded five sacks between two practices. The Jets have lacked pass-rushing talent on the edge for a couple of years, so look for Polite to earn a ton of reps and compete for significant playing time.

Another Gator kicking off at 7 P.M., in New York ironically, is fifth-round pick linebacker Vosean Joseph. Joseph is listed as the third-string strong-side linebacker for the Bills, and will have to stand out when he's subbed into the game tonight if he's to make the final roster.

Second-round pick right tackle Jawaan Taylor will begin his playing career with the Jacksonville Jaguars tonight at 7:30 P.M., against the Baltimore Ravens. Taylor has been competing to start at right tackle throughout training camp but is currently listed on the second team behind Cedric Ogbuehi.

However, Jacksonville is expected to sit, or at least limit, their starters. That will open the door for Taylor to play plenty through the evening.

Although he went undrafted, offensive lineman Martez Ivey will make his professional debut for the New England Patriots at 7:30 P.M. as well. He signed with the Patriots just last week and should play later in the game.

Fifth-round pick running back Jordan Scarlett's debut will be delayed, as the Carolina Panthers have ruled him out of tonight's 8 P.M. contest against the Chicago Bears with lower back tightness. He looked impressive throughout camp prior to the injury and has been competing for the primary backup role to Christian McCaffrey.

As for New Orleans Saints fourth-round pick defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, catch his debut tomorrow night against the Minnesota Vikings at 8 P.M.