Tampabay.com · Apr 29, 2015
Florida schools aim for splash in NFL draft first round
If the Bucs do indeed use the No. 1 overall pick in Thursday night's NFL draft on FSU QB Jameis Winston, it will mark a return to using high draft picks on prospects from in-state schools after a long absence.
The Bucs haven't drafted a player from a Florida school higher than the fifth round since 2001, when they took Gators OT Kenyatta Walker in the first round. In 13 drafts since, they've taken 103 players, but just five from in-state schools. Compare that to the previous 13 drafts, when Florida, FSU and Miami were churning out top-tier NFL talent — the Bucs had at least one in-state draft pick in 13 drafts in a row, with 19 such players taken in all, including five first-rounders.
