Swampcast talks Florida football spring game, UF basketball offseason
The Sun’s Kevin Brockway, Andrew Abadie and Noah Ram share thoughts on Florida football spring game, Florida basketball offseason, Florida baseball, softball.
Florida football could wind up with a high number of players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, which will conclude on April 25 at 12 p.m. in Pittsburgh, Pa. (ESPN, ABC, NFL Network).
Former Florida Gators defensive tackle Caleb Banks was a surprise first-round selection on April 23, going 18th overall to the Minnesota Vikings. Banks played in just three games as a senior at UF due to a broken foot, which he re-broke at the NFL Combine in late February. But the Vikings weren’t scared away by those health issues.
Banks is the 27th defensive tackle from Florida drafted since 1967 and highest picked DT from UF since Gerald Warren went third overall to the Cleveland Browns in the 2021 NFL draft.
Fomer UF center Jake Slaughter (second round, 63rd overall, Los Angeles Chargers) and Florida left tackle Austin Barber (third round, 83rd overall, Cleveland Browns) were day two draft picks.
As many as five former Gators could still get selected from rounds 4-7 on April 25. Among the UF draft hopefuls include cornerback Devin Moore (a projected third- or fourth-round pick), defensive end George Gumbs Jr. (a projected fourth- or fifth-round pick), defensive end Tyreak Sapp (a projected fourth- or fifth-round pick), kicker Trey Smack (a projected sixth-round pick) and wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant (a projected seventh-round pick).
At least one Florida player has been picked in every NFL Draft since 1953. Florida enters Round 4 of the 2026 NFL draft with 383 players drafted all-time, which is fifth-best among SEC programs.
Florida football players selected in the 2026 NFL draft
Florida kicker Trey Smack is taken as the last pick in the sixth round (216th overall) by the Green Bay Packers. Smack booted a UF record 10 field goals of 50 yards or more in his UF career.
Florida football edge rusher George Gumbs Jr. taken in the fifth round (156th overall) by the Indianapolis Colts. A transfer from Northern Illinois, Gumbs recorded 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks in two seasons at UF.
Florida football cornerback Devin Moore is taken in the fourth round (114th overall) by the Dallas Cowboys. Moore recorded five career interceptions at UF.
Day 3 of the NFL Draft will resume on April 25 at noon (ABC, ESPN, NFL Network). Florida cornerback Devin Moore could wind up going early in the fourth round, shortly after the draft re-starts.
Florida football offensive tackle Austin Barber is taken in the third round (86th overall) by the Cleveland Browns in the 2026 NFL draft. Barber was a three-year starter at left tackle for the Gators from 2023-25.
Former Florida football wide receiver Caleb Douglas goes in third round, 75th overall, to the Miami Dolphins while former UF defensive lineman Chris McClellan goes in the third round, 77th overall, to the Green Bay Packers. Douglas played at Florida for two seasons (2022-23) before transferring to Texas Tech. McClellan played two seasons at UF (2022-23) before transferring to Missouri.
Florida center Jake Slaughter is taken in the second round (63rd overall) by the Los Angeles Chargers. A two-time All-American from Sparr, Slaughter was a Rimington Award finalist in 2025. He made 33 career starts at UF from 2023-25.
The 2026 NFL draft is set to resume with Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday, April 24 in Pittsburgh, Pa. (7 p.m., ESPN, NFL Network). Florida players who could hear their names called in the next two rounds include center Jake Slaughter, left tackle Austin Barber and cornerback Devin Moore.
Florida football DT Caleb Banks taken in first round by the Minnesota Vikings
Former Florida football defensive tackle Caleb Banks was taken in the first round, 18th overall, by the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night. It was a surprise pick, as Banks was projected to go in round two based on injury concerns after he broke his foot last August in UF’s training camp and again during the NFL combine. But the Vikings saw the potential of Banks as a bull-rushing defensive end. Banks is the first Florida player to get picked in the first round since Ricky Pearsall, who went 30th overall to the San Francisco 49ers in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1
