Senior Bowl Has High Grades on Two Florida Gators Wide Receivers
Following the 2019 season, the annual Senior Bowl provided a final platform for Florida Gators wide receiver Van Jefferson and Tyrie Cleveland to prove their worth in pads before the 2020 NFL Draft.
A dominant week of practices from Jefferson, and good measurables and special teams prowess for Cleveland after a late invitation to the event, paid off for each prospect as the selection ceremony approached. Jefferson, despite a lack of NFL Combine scores due to a Jones fracture in his foot, climbed into the second round of a historically deep receiver class. Cleveland, despite limited production at Florida, heard his name called in the seventh round.
With Jefferson, Cleveland, Freddie Swain, and Josh Hammond now departed from UF's wide receiver corps and off to the NFL, rising senior receivers Trevon Grimes and Kadarius Toney are expected to take on major roles in Florida's successful passing offense. And the Senior Bowl has its eyes on the tandem.
Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy, along with his team of scouts, are in the process of putting together their early 2021 boards in order to compile the best senior talent in Mobile, Ala., for the yearly all-star game. Representatives - head coaches, general managers, assistants, and scouts - from all 32 NFL teams attend the week of practices, and as seen by UF's recent class of Senior Bowl graduates, the week can truly benefit a prospect's draft chances.
The Gators sent defensive end Jabari Zuniga, linebacker Jonathan Greenard, and running back Lamical Perine to the 2020 Senior Bowl along with Jefferson and Cleveland. Each prospect was drafted.
"Kadarius Toney has been UF’s most electric playmaker since he was true [freshman]," Nagy wrote on Twitter. "We expect Trevon Grimes to be THE breakout WR of ‘21 class."
Pretty high praise from the 18-year former NFL scout. And it's warranted.
Toney missed six games during the 2019 season due to a shoulder injury, but made the same electric plays that UF has looked to him for in the past when he was on the field. Across 27 career games, Toney has caught 50 passes for 606 yards (12.1 yards per catch) and two touchdowns, and added 47 rushes for 419 yards (8.9 yards per attempt) and a score via the ground.
A big-play threat, Toney is an extremely elusive offensive chess piece who can line up at multiple positions and will find a home in the NFL as a utility player.
Grimes, a former Ohio State transfer, is certainly a candidate to break out this year for UF as Nagy projects. The 6-5, 214 lb. wide receiver has flashed plenty of big-play ability in the past, hauling in 62 receptions for 875 yards and five touchdowns over the past two seasons - despite limited opportunities with four NFL-bound receivers, an NFL-bound running back, a 2020 Preseason First Team All-American tight end (Kyle Pitts), and others in the mix for targets.
In 2019, Grimes turned 23 of his 33 receptions into first downs, according to Pro Football Focus. Of his 14.9 yards per catch in total (ranking second on the team), more yards came after the catch (8.2) than before the catch (6.7). On top of his impressive size to contest catches at the boundary and in the redzone, Grimes also clocked a 4.47-second 40-yard dash coming out of high school.
Returning as primary weapons for redshirt senior quarterback Kyle Trask, who also has Nagy's attention, the expectations are high for Grimes and Toney entering their senior seasons. Should they meet those expectations, tickets to the Senior Bowl will likely get punched and their NFL prospects will gain some momentum.
