George Gumbs generating draft buzz as a wide receiver-turned edge rusher

College football players change positions often, but few start off as wide receivers and end up as edge rushers, and even fewer show the promise that Florida edge rusher George Gumbs has shown.

Gumbs went from a walk-on wide receiver at Northern Illinois, to a scholarship tight end, to a defensive end, then transferred to Florida and held his own against elite competition in the SEC.

Injuries cut Gumbs’ final season at Florida short, but he’s still generating some draft buzz after his 41-inch vertical was the second-best of all-time for a defensive lineman at the Combine. New England is among the teams showing interest; Mike Reiss of ESPN reports that Gumbs will be one of the Patriots’ 30 pre-draft visitors.

Gumbs doesn’t project as a high pick, but he has the kind of talent, and room to continue growing, that will make some team take a flier on him, in the hopes that an athlete of his caliber can contribute on special teams right now, and eventually develop into a top-notch pass rusher.