2020 NFL Draft: New York Jets Select Gators DE Jabari Zuniga
Florida Gators defensive end Jabari Zuniga has been drafted by the New York Jets with the 79th in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Although the redshirt senior defensive end struggled to stay on the field in his final season with the Gators, Zuniga's upside is tremendous and his athleticism for a defensive lineman is something that the Jets wanted to get their hands on.
The Marietta, Georgia native wrapped up his college career with 116 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in his 39 games as a Florida Gator. It is hard to measure defensive line production purely from a statistical perspective, but if you watch Zuniga's tape you can see how his presence is felt in the trenches.
Zuniga finished up his impressive NFL Combine performance with a 4.64 40 yard dash, 29 reps on the bench, and an outstanding 127-inch (10.58 feet) broad jump. The redshirt senior also participated in the Reese's Senior Bowl with teammates Lamical Perine, Van Jefferson, Tyrie Cleveland, and Jonathan Greenard, so the NFL has had its eyes on his talents for a while.
Just last year, the Jets selected former Gators edge rusher Jachai Polite in the third round, only to release him before the season started due to discipline issues.
As Pro Football Network noted a few days ago, Zuniga's fit was widely questioned by the teams that were looking into him. Some teams saw him as a defensive end, but others saw him as a 3-4 outside linebacker even though he hasn't played there before. In New York's 3-4 scheme, Zuniga could be moved around a good bit.
Zuniga follows Florida Gators' cornerback CJ Henderson and wide receiver Van Jefferson to be selected in the 2020 NFL Draft so far.
