With the 24th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals selected offensive tackle D.J. Humphries from Florida.
Humphries was one of the more puzzling early entrants to the 2015 NFL Draft at the time of his announcement. He received a grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Board urging him to remain in school — one that corresponded to being picked in the third round or after — and yet decided to go pro anyway.
It was a wise decision.
Finally able to pack on the weight that had eluded him at Florida thanks to a staggering 5,000-calorie-a-meal diet, Humphries rebuilt his body during the pre-Draft process, and wowed scouts and decision-makers with his athleticism, thanks to always-nimble feet. He's a project, to be sure, and was never as great a player at Florida as his five-star ranking in the class of 2012 suggested he would be, but Humphries has tremendous potential, and could be a cornerstone on the offensive line for Arizona.
Humphries joins Dante Fowler as the second Florida player selected in the 2015 NFL Draft. It's Florida's first year with two first-rounders since way back in 2013, when Sharrif Floyd and Matt Elam were both taken in the first round — and the first time Gators on both offense and defense have been selected in the first round since 2010 (Joe Haden, Maurkice Pouncey, and Tim Tebow).
Humphries is also the first Gator taken by the Cardinals since 1999, when the franchise drafted linebacker Johnny Rutledge in the second round. The Cardinals had never previously used a first-round pick on a Florida product.