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Friday, March 29, 2024
Zuniga
Zuniga

For the third round in a row, a Gators player comes off the draft board. 

The New York Jets selected edge rusher Jabari Zuniga with the 79th overall pick.

Zuniga missed most of his senior season after suffering an ankle injury against Kentucky in Week 3 of the 2019 season and missed seven games last season. 

But when he was on the field, he shined. He opened the season against Miami with 6 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He finished his redshirt-senior season with six sacks, seven tackles for loss and 14 total tackles in six games played. He finished his career with 118 total tackles , 34.5 tackles for loss and 18.5 sacks in 42 games played.

Zuniga gives the Jets a player with a long, athletic frame whose explosiveness and relentless pursuit will cause trouble for opposing offenses. He’s capable of being disruptive in gaps but will thrive most when exploiting athletic mismatches. 

His time spent off the field dropped his draft stock considerably. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein says he lacks a definitive positional fit. Zuniga will also have to quicken his release out of his stance and increase his awareness if he wants to reach the potential his athleticism allows for. 

Zuniga is the third Florida player taken in this year's draft, joining first-rounder C.J. Henderson and second-round pick Van Jefferson. The Gators have now had seven defensive linemen selected in the first three rounds over the last eight seasons.

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