By: Dan

By now, everyone knows that Percy Harvin, Louis Murphy and Cornelius Ingram took the next step in their football careers and were selected at various points in the NFL draft.

But there are a handful of players from last year’s national championship team who had to go a different route to try and realize their dreams of an NFL career. Running back Kestahn Moore signed with the Denver Broncos, offensive tackle Phil Trautwein signed with the St. Louis Rams and offensive tackle Jason Watkins inked a rookie free agent deal with the Houston Texans.

Obviously, all three of these players face an uphill battle when it comes to making an NFL roster. That’s why they weren’t drafted. But here’s a look at the situations each of the UF grads are walking into.

Kestahn Moore: If he had gone to Denver when Mike Shanahan was still the coach, Moore’s chances would probably be much better. Throughout Shanahan’s tenure in the Mile High City, a bevy of no-name running backs found success running the ball with the Broncos. Some of those names include Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson and Reuben Droughns. All three running backs posted 1,000-yard seasons in Denver, but never enjoyed the same success anywhere else.

Unfortunately for Moore, Shanahan is out and pass-happy first-year coach Josh McDaniels is in. Before taking the head job in Denver, he was the offensive coordinator in New England, and we all know how much the Patriots loved to throw the ball around. Then again, he had Tom Brady and Matt Cassel in New England and now has Kyle Orton, who doesn’t have the passing skills of either of the aforementioned signal callers.

The good news for Moore is that the Broncos’ running back corps was decimated by injuries. Their leading rusher last year was Peyton Hillis, who only ran for 343 yards. The bad news for Moore is that the team drafted Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno in the first round. While Moore will likely never be a feature back in the NFL, he might be able to find a niche in the pros, perhaps as a fullback.

Phil Trautwein: The 6-foot-5, 307-pound tackle has had injury issues in the past. He missed all of 2007 with a stress fracture in his foot but came back to start every game in 2008 and was an anchor on Florida’s O-line.

On the surface, Trautwein is probably going to a good situation in St. Louis. The team was one of the worst in the NFL last year, so one would assume that just about every position is up for grabs. Also, the team jettisoned Orlando Pace, who anchored the offensive line for about a decade. The Rams addressed the offensive tackle position by taking Baylor’s Jason Smith with the second pick in the draft. Looking at St. Louis’ roster, not too many names jump out on the offensive line, besides Smith and center Jason Brown, who the Rams picked up in free agency. Scouts have said that Trautwein must get better at handling the speed rush, but I like his chances to at least make St. Louis’ practice squad.

Jason Watkins: J-Wat was probably the best player on Florida’s offensive line last year, and I’m kind of surprised he wasn’t picked up in the later rounds. Houston is a team on the rise, having finished 8-8 in the tough AFC South. Houston owner Bob McNair has gone on record as saying that he expects the Texans to make the playoffs, so expectations are sky high.

Houston only drafted one offensive lineman: center Antoine Caldwell from Alabama, so that bodes well for Watkins’ chances. At one point in time, the Texans had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, when former quarterback David Carr was getting sacked 60-plus times a year. The offensive line has improved since then, but there might be a spot somewhere for Watkins.

Keep an eye on these players when the NFL preseason rolls around. If they do well during the preseason games, they might just find themselves on a 53-man roster.