Former Gator wide receiver Percy Harvin was taken by the Minnesota Vikings with the 22nd pick of the first round in the 2009 NFL Saturday in New York City. He is the fourth first-round draft choice Urban Meyer has coached at Florida, and the fifth first-round draft pick Meyer has coached in his career. The Gators have now had 39 players selected in the opening round of the Draft.

Harvin is the 32nd wide receiver taken in the NFL Draft out of Florida, and the sixth Gator wide out taken in the first round. The last UF receiver to be taken in the Draft was Andre Caldwell, who was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2008 Draft. Harvin is the highest Florida receiver taken since Travis Taylor was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 10th overall pick of the 2000 NFL Draft.

Harvin was the consummate dual threat at wide receiver and running back while at Florida, amassing over 1,800 yards rushing and 1,900 yards receiving and scoring 32 total touchdowns in just three seasons. He is one of only two wide receivers in Division I-A football since 1996 to have over 1,500 rushing and 1,500 receiving yards, and is the only wide receiver to accomplish those numbers in just three seasons dating back to 1996. Harvin owns the record for most career yards rushing by a Florida wide receiver (1,852) and the most rushing yards in a single season by a UF receiver (858 yards in 2007). He totaled six 100-yard rushing games and six 100-yard receiving games in his career and is the only player in Florida history to have 100 yards rushing and receiving in a game, doing so against Vanderbilt in 2007. Harvin averaged 9.5 yards per carry as a Gator, the highest career average for any player in Division I since 1996 with at least 100 carries.