Florida Gators lose Taylor, Robinson, McAlister to NFL Draft

The Florida Gators are losing three standout players to the NFL Draft after the Citrus Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines.

Kelvin Taylor, Demarcus Robinson and Alex McAlister are all leaving Florida and putting their names in the 2016 NFL Draft, Gators head coach Jim McElwain said on Monday morning.

Taylor will leave the biggest hole in the backfield. The junior running back has 985 yards and 13 touchdowns on the year as the team’s leading rusher.

It’s been a good career for the former five-star recruit and son of Florida great, Fred Taylor, but he didn’t live up to his recruiting ranking and the potential he has. He’s a player who could end up being a better NFL player than he was a college player.

The same may be true for wide receiver Robinson who has all the physical tools in the world to be successful but hasn’t been able to harness it and put it all together on the field.

He’s leading the team with 47 receptions and is second with 505 yards, but he’s missed four games due to various suspensions during his career and will be the biggest concern for NFL teams during the pre-draft process.

McAlister, like Robinson, has been plagued by off-field issues and was suspended for the start of the season and was reportedly dismissed from the team and is battling a foot injury that was likely to keep him from playing in the Citrus Bowl anyway.

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When on the field, he’s been a force with 26 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks this season.

None of these players figure to be first round picks, but another Florida junior could be as the Gators are expected to see All-American cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III declare for the draft after the Citrus Bowl and he could be a top-10 pick.