2020 Senior Bowl: Florida Gators Preview

Which four Florida Gators are attending this week's Senior Bowl, and why is it so important?

Four Florida Gators are making the trek up I-75 and west on I-10 to Mobile, AL., for the 2020 Senior Bowl.

An annual all-star game, top senior NFL Draft prospects from across the country will join Florida running back Lamical Perine, wide receiver Van Jefferson, and defensive ends Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga at Ladd-Peebles Stadium to showcase their skills for one last time in pads before April's selection ceremony.

For Perine, competing in the Senior Bowl provides an opportunity to show out at home. A Mobile native, Perine is excited to perform in front of NFL personnel.

"It's a great honor, man," Perine told the media in November after receiving an invitation to the Senior Bowl. "Just to end my college career in my hometown, that'll be great."

The Senior Bowl comes after a strong ending to an up-and-down senior campaign for the 5-11, 218 lb. running back. 

Perine tallied a season-high 138 rushing yards and two touchdowns to go with five receptions for 43 yards and one score through the air against Virginia in Florida's 36-28 Orange Bowl victory, after a season of struggles in the run game for the Gators as a whole amidst run blocking issues.

The Senior Bowl gives Perine, like others, one final opportunity to build upon his season-ending momentum before the NFL Combine and the draft process. With a week of practice with the country's best and most experienced offensive line unit ahead of him, Perine arguably stands the most to gain from the event of all the Gators participating.

If not Perine, then perhaps Zuniga could steak the show amongst Florida's prospects. The 6-4, 246 lb. defensive end entered the 2019 season with nearly as much hype as cornerback C.J. Henderson, who declared for the NFL Draft as a junior and is a widely-projected first round pick.

Zuniga isn't in that same boat. He missed seven games for Florida in 2019 with a nagging ankle sprain, but flashed enough when he was on the field to get an invitation to Mobile and continue giving teams film to evaluate.

A big week at Ladd-Peebles Stadium could allow Zuniga to re-emerge as one of the draft's top strong-side defensive ends. His counterpart, Greenard, could do something similar within the group of edge rushers at the Senior Bowl. 

Greenard and Zuniga will both be going against the same top-tier offensive line unit that will pave the way for Perine to find success in Mobile. One-on-one drills will be key for both to display their techniques, skills, and athleticism off in front of scouts, and Greenard's 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in 2019 foreshadow a good performance to come in those drills.

And last but not least, Jefferson being the son of an NFL wide receivers coach has already helped advance his knowledge of the game and all of the aspects of WR play, and what better atmosphere to show that off? 

Not too many prospects show up to the Senior Bowl with the words "first round" hovering around their name. You have the occasional few, but those players are primarily quarterbacks. Right now, no Gators players other than Henderson can brag about that label.

However, the Senior Bowl gives Perine, Jefferson, Greenard, and Zuniga their biggest chance from now until April to tell the NFL why they belong at the next level. A big week in Mobile can make a prospect a first round pick if they earn it. 

While that may not necessarily come to fruition for these Gators, each has an excellent opportunity to boost their name up draft boards, earn more NFL money, and shoot for that goal.