Top 5 Florida Gators stars in the NFL, feat. Lions' $6,500,000 star C.J. Gardner-Johnson

The Florida Gators are an iconic college football powerhouse with a track record of excellence. The Gators are a pipeline of NFL talent and regularly send stellar prospects to the league.

Hence, it shouldn't surprise that a Florida alum, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, recently signed a $6.5 million deal with the Detroit Lions. On that note, let's look at five Florida Gators alum who are set to tear up the NFL in 2023.

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Top Florida Gators alum in the NFL

Here's a rundown of the five best Florida Gators playing in the NFL ahead of the 2023 season:

#5 Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans

Dameon Pierce was a versatile running back during his four-year stint with the Florida Gators.

He played the RB position and appeared on special teams in his first two years as a Gator. Pierce's performances saw him selected by the Houston Texans with the 107th overall pick of the 2022 Draft.

He had a decent rookie season with the Texans, starting all 13 games. Pierce ended the season with 220 rush attempts, 939 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. He also added 165 receiving yards and one TD in the air.

#4 Kaiir Elam, Buffalo Bills

Elam is yet another success story from the Florida pipeline of NFL talents. Kaiir Elam played for the Gators from 2019 to 2021 and earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2020.

He was so good that the Buffalo Bills drafted him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He ended his rookie year with a stat line of 41 total tackles, two interceptions and four passes defended in 13 games. You can expect him to leap in year two as he adjusts to the rigors of the NFL.

#3 Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

Anthony Richardson is the Florida Gators alum with the highest potential in the last decade and has the most questions surrounding his play. The recent fourth overall pick in the 2023 Draft was never a star at the University of Florida, but that didn't perturb NFL scouts.

His measurements enamored them for the quarterback position, and there were even whispers of him going first overall. Those rumors were inaccurate, though, but he still ended up as a top-five pick.

Richardson landed on Jim Irsay's Colts. The Colts aren't known for their patience with QBs, so Richardson should look to hit the ground running.

#2 C. J. Gardner-Johnson, Detroit Lions

He was a star in Florida and a stellar NFL player. C. J. Gardner-Johnson is one of the better safeties in the NFL. The former New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles safety is a skilled ball hawk and led the NFL in interceptions in 2022.

The Detroit Lions are getting a potential Pro Bowler for cheap, and he's sure to have a chip on his shoulder heading into the 2023 NFL season. Let's see whether he can go one better with the Lions in 2023.

#1 Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

Some compare him with Gronk, while others see him to be more of a George Kittle.

However, the Atlanta Falcons fans want their Pro Bowl tight end to be himself. Kyle Pitts is a generational tight end out of Florida. He was named a unanimous All-American and won the John Mackey Award in 2020.

Pitts is the highest-drafted tight end in league history. He was selected fourth overall by the Falcons in the 2021 NFL Draft. How did he repay their faith? By getting selected to the 2022 Pro Bowl, of course.

Kyle Pitts could be the best tight end in the NFL, but he needs to be steered in the right direction by the Atlanta coaching staff. Let's see if the Florida Gators alum can improve on his lackluster 2022 season.