The first UF offensive player is off the board, as the Houston Texans took running back Dameon Pierce with the No. 107 overall pick in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.
The Bainbridge, Georgia, native appeared in 50 out of a possible 51 games during his four years at Florida, with 11 starts. He totaled 329 carries for 1,806 yards and 23 touchdowns and averaged 5.5 yards per carry.
He became the Gators’ lead back in 2020 and surpassed the 500-yard mark in both of his final two seasons. In 2021, he carried the ball 100 times for 574 yards and 13 touchdowns, the latter of which tied for the fifth most in a season in school history.
He’s also a good receiver, as he caught 36 passes over his final two seasons and scored four more touchdowns. He was also an excellent pass-protector during his time at Florida.
Despite his well-rounded skillset, he never received more than 106 carries in a season, as the previous coaching staff opted to split the carries between two or three running backs.
Pierce is shaped like a bowling bowl (5-foot-10, 215 pounds) and runs like a battering ram. His physical running style, always upbeat personality and relative lack of carries at Florida made him an attractive option for NFL teams, and now he’ll get his chance to shine.
He’s going to be a break-out RB in short order, I believe, if he has an O-line anywhere decent.
I totally agree!