Vernon Hargreaves is staying in the state of Florida.

The Tampa Bay Bucs selected him at No. 11 overall on Thursday.

The former Florida Gators All-American was a lockdown corner throughout his career in orange and blue, and he could be a future pro bowler with his dynamic ability.

Hargreaves is the son of a coach (his father coaches at Arkansas); so, even from an early age, he learned not only to be physically better than his opponents, but he also mastered the mental aspect of the game. He’s just smarter than many other players, and it showed on the field. He has great anticipation and tremendous burst and break on the football.

When he signed with the Gators in the class of 2013, Will Muschamp knew he locked down the centerpiece of his defense for the next three years. Hargreaves entered Florida as the No. 1 cornerback in the country and the the No. 3 prospect overall, according to 247Sports Composite Rankings.

And he made an instant splash, too.

Hargreaves was named a Freshman All-American and a Third-Team All-American by the Associated Press, starting the final 10 games of the season in 2013. The very next year, Hargreaves was named a First-Team All American by various outlets and was named a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, as well as a Lott IMPACT Trophy Nominee. During his junior campaign, he was named one of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award and a semi-finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award.

Not only was Hargreaves healthy throughout his career, but he stayed out of trouble in Gainesville. He was a low-risk pick for any franchise, and the Buccaneers wound up with a great one.

I can see Hargreaves become a perennial Pro Bowl-type player, assuming he stays healthy during his NFL career.