The NFL Draft is finally here, and UCF players are excited to hear their names called and pursue their playing careers on this long-awaited weekend.
It isn’t anticipated to be nearly as remarkable for the Knights as Rounds 2–7 of 2021, when a record five players were selected. However, a handful of athletes have the ability to maintain the present streak of six years in a row with at least one selection.
Long snapper Alex Ward is considered the best player available at his position. He was invited to the NFL scouting combine and the Reese’s Senior Bowl earlier this year. He might be chosen as the tenth long snapper in the previous fourteen years.
Isaiah Bowser increases draft stock on UCF Pro Day, as Alex Ward attempts an uncommon long snapper feat. Six UCF football players who stood out during spring workouts are on the rise. UCF transfer tracker: Georgia’s national champion linebacker is acquired by the Knights
Three players who performed well throughout the pre-draft process are offensive tackle Ryan Swoboda, running back Isaiah Bowser, and safety Divaad Wilson. These players could slip into the final phases of Day 3.
UCF has had 48 players selected by NFL teams as of this past weekend. Six Pro Bowl candidates and four first-round picks—two of them quarterbacks—are on the list.
Of fact, draft position is not necessarily a guarantee of success; players that spent at least five years in the league include Matt Prater, Charley Hughlett, Justin McCray, Atari Bigby, A.J. Bouye, Leger Douzable, Cornell Green, Mike Gruttadauria, and Kamar Aiken.
But first, let’s concentrate on the people who answered the call. Here are the 48 UCF football players who were drafted and their professional results.
Kalia Davis
Position: Tackle on defense
Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2022, 220th overall (Round 6)
Buzz: Davis missed his whole rookie season due to non-football injuries, and he hasn’t played for the 49ers since. After undergoing surgery to repair his ACL in October 2021, the 6-foot-2, 310-pound native of Pensacola is anticipated to return to the defensive line rotation this autumn.
Richie Grant
Place: Safety
The Atlanta Falcons selected him 40th overall (in Round 2) of the 2021 draft.
Buzz: Grant, who attended Choctawhatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach, the same high school as Ward, started playing full-time for the Falcons in his second season. In addition to breaking up seven passes and snagging two interceptions, he finished second on the team with 123 tackles (70 solo).
Aaron Robinson
Place: Safety
The Atlanta Falcons selected him 40th overall (in Round 2) of the 2021 draft.
Buzz: Grant, who attended Choctawhatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach, the same high school as Ward, started playing full-time for the Falcons in his second season. In addition to breaking up seven passes and snagging two interceptions, he finished second on the team with 123 tackles (70 solo).
Jacob Harris
Role: Wide receiver
141st overall (Round 4) draft pick in 2021 by the Los Angeles Rams
Buzz: Harris got a Super Bowl ring and appeared in nine games as a rookie, accounting for 137 special teams snaps and 15 offensive snaps. The incredibly athletic 6-foot-5, 211-pound converted tight end caught his first NFL reception in Week 12 against the eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs, despite the Rams’ awful title defense.
Tay Gowan
Placement: Cornerback
Drafted: by the Arizona Cardinals in 2021, 223rd overall (Round 6).
Buzz: In his two NFL seasons, Gowan has played for three different teams: the Cardinals selected him in the first round, the Philadelphia Eagles acquired him as part of the Zach Ertz trade, and the Minnesota Vikings claimed him off waivers. He signed a reserve/future contract in January and has appeared in five games while suiting up.
Tre Nixon
Role: Wide receiver
Drafted by the New England Patriots in 2021, 242nd overall (Round 7)
Buzz: Nixon missed the most of his redshirt senior season due to a shoulder injury, but the Patriots selected the Viera native with one of their final picks in the 2021 draft. Nixon caught 108 passes for 1,652 yards and 13 touchdowns while attending UCF. Although he hasn’t been promoted from the practice squad, Nixon is still a part of the Patriots.
Gabe Davis
Role: Wide receiver
Drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2020, 128th overall (Round 4)
Buzz: During Buffalo’s historic shootout loss in Kansas City two seasons ago, Davis recorded one of the most outrageous receiving stat lines in NFL playoff history: eight catches, 201 yards, and a record-setting four touchdowns. Despite missing nine passes and being the intended recipient of six of Josh Allen’s 14 interceptions, Davis achieved career highs in targets (98), catches (48), and receiving yards (836) during his third season. He also scored seven touchdowns. Entering his contract year, the 24-year-old may be entitled to a sizable increase in Buffalo or somewhere come springtime.
Trysten Hill
Position: Tackle on defense
Dallas Cowboys selected him 58th overall (in Round 2) of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Buzz: Due to an ACL rupture sustained in October 2020 and a two-game ban in 2021 for hitting Las Vegas Raiders guard John Simpson during a post-game confrontation, Hill never fully lived up to the second-round billing in Dallas. Since then, he was waived by Arizona and signed a free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns in March. Hill has 39 tackles, seven TFLs, and one and a half sacks in 31 career games.
Mike Hughes
Placement: Cornerback
Minnesota Vikings selected him 30th overall (Round 1) in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Buzz: Hughes, a rookie who returned his first professional interception for a 28-yard touchdown, is still revered as a cult hero for his War on I-4 reservation for six in the cabanas. Hughes is the most recent first-round pick at UCF. In his 57 NFL games, he has started 18 of them and picked up two additional picks. He has played for Kansas City and, most recently, Detroit. Over the course of Hughes’ five NFL seasons, quarterbacks have completed passes with a passer rating of 100 or higher against him. Hughes, who signed a two-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons in March, will provide some flexibility to their scheme. According to Pro Football Focus, Hughes lined up 268 times on the boundary and 220 times in the slot last season.
Tre’Quan Smith
Role: Wide receiver
Select: 91st overall (Round 3) in 2018 by the New Orleans Saints
Buzz: Smith graduated from UCF with a career record of 11 100-yard receiving games, 22 touchdown grabs, 168 receptions, 16.4 yards per reception, and 2,758 receiving yards. He developed into a vital element of Drew Brees’ receiving group as a rookie, hauling in 28 passes for 427 yards and five touchdowns. Smith will enter the last year of a two-year, $6 million contract deal in 2023. Smith has appeared in 66 games with the Saints over the course of five seasons.
Jordan Akins
Location: Tight end
drafted by the Houston Texans in 2018 with the 98th overall pick (Round 3)
Buzz: After spending four years in the minor levels, Akins, a former third-round selection of the Texas Rangers, decided to pursue football. Roughly a week after turning 26, the former All-AAC selection was selected, and he has since spent two different stints with Houston. Akins recorded his highest-ever numbers in 2022 after an unplanned return to the Texans, setting career highs in targets (54), catches (37), receiving yards (495) and touchdowns (five). This season, he will play alongside Deshaun Watson in Cleveland again after agreeing to a two-year, $3.9 million contract in March.
Shaquem Griffin
Role: Linebacker
Select: 141st overall (Round 5) in 2018 by the Seattle Seahawks
Buzz: Being the first-ever one-handed player taken into the NFL, Griffin made history as the defensive captain of the unbeaten 2017 Knights and a real UCF icon. Griffin, who was born with an amniotic band sequence that caused him to lose his left hand at the age of four, reunited with his twin brother Shaquill in Seattle and played three complete seasons with the team. Twice in 2020, he recorded more than 200 special teams snaps. He also recorded his first and only sack. In August of last year, Griffin declared his retirement and agreed to become a member of the NFL Legends Community, where he will help current and former players deal with mental health concerns and transitions into and out of the game.