Gators coordinator sees spot in NFL for Gardner-Johnson

GAINESVILLE — UF defensive coordinator Todd Grantham coached 11 seasons in the NFL before returning to the college game in 2010.

Some members of Grantham’s defense will begin preparing to head to the next level following the Dec. 29 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Grantham is waiting to see how many.

Besides senior pass rusher CeCe Jefferson, the only sure thing is nickelback Chauncey GardnerJohnson, who announced last month he would leave school early.

“I felt like it was time for me to go,” Gardner-Johnson said following Monday night’s practice. “Not in a bad way, but my teammates respected it. They know what I can do. I know what they can do.”

Gardner-Johnson bounced back from an inconsistent sophomore season to become one of the UF defense’s most reliable playmakers. A switch from safety to nickelback moved him closer to the line of scrimmage. The move along with much-improved tackling allowed Gardner-Johnson to make plays in the flats and backfield in addition to the back end of the defense.

According to Pro Football Focus, Gardner-Johnson had a nation-leading 19 stops in pass coverage to go with 66 tackles, nine of them for loss. The passhappy NFL covets boundary cornerbacks and rewards the best ones handsomely. But Grantham said Gardner-Johnson’s position and overall versatility increasingly have become a hot commodity with the passing game’s evolution.

“Even when I was in the league, you still had value when you could play, say, outside at corner and then you could move inside on the slot,” Grantham said. “Now the value has probably increased even more because you’re playing more downs with those kinds of people in the game because of the multiple wideouts people are putting the game.

“So your ability to play outside and inside as a corner certainly gives you value and is something teams look for.”

Gardner-Johnson also should raise his stock at the NFL Scouting Combine. The former Florida high school state-champion sprinter could post some impressive times in the 40-yard dash.

“I’ll run a 4.3. Everybody says 4.3, but realistically I’ll probably run a 4.4, just out of the gate. Who knows? I might run a 4.1. I might jump the clock. Who knows? It’s something that you shoot for, you train for.

The other Gator defender with an NFL decision to make is pass rusher Jachai Polite. Polite’s 11 sacks are two shy of the school record while his five forced fumbles are tied for most in the nation.

Polite is projected to be a first-round pick in many mock drafts but is waiting on paperwork from the NFL Draft Advisory Board.