Florida State Seminoles Draft Report

The Florida State Seminoles had the most players selected in this year's NFL Draft with 11 players. Those 11 players selected helped the Seminoles break a 3 year draft record previously held by Miami and USC. Florida State has had 29 players selected during this three year span which goes along perfectly with their 29 game win streak. 11 Noles were picked and this infographic the Seminoles sent is even more awesome than it was before. The below picture is from before the draft....

This was the number one thing most Seminole fans were watching and will be a huge recruiting advantage for Florida State moving forward. Seeing how many players have been selected from this team will be on the mind of every recruit trying to make the league. Knowing that FSU has now had a player selected at every single position under Coach Fisher has to be on recruits minds. What an advantage that now belongs to FSU. Some of these players had position changes in college too. That is all development and getting them ready for the NFL. While coaches like Urban Meyer and Nick Saban prepare a kid for college, Fisher prepares them for the NFL. That right there is a huge recruiting advantage against his best competition. This guy has major clout walking into any living room in the country right now...

Where did the Seminoles end up though and when did they get picked up? That is also vital information....

Jameis Winston was picked #1 overall by the Bucs. I have full confidence that Winston will be a succesful NFL athlete. The fact that he went to the local Bucs shoots them up my list of favorite teams. The Bucs are now even with the Baltimore Orioles as my #2 team behind FSU. I am thrilled with the Bucs drafting Winston and thinks he enters a solid situation. Tampa has 2 great receivers, and decent pieces elsewhere. Drafting two offensive lineman with their next two picks, doesn't hurt the former FSU QB by any means.

Cameron Erving was picked #19 overall by the Browns. I was a fan of the Browns safe draft this time and loved their 1st round picking up a Nole and the 2nd best player in the draft IMO. This team did well on draft day. Erving will start from day 1, but the Browns still lack a quality QB.

Mario Edwards was picked in the 2nd round, #35 overall by the Raiders. The Raiders have become an FSU pipeline. Edwards is one of the few Noles that didn't live up to his potential. He was the nation's #1 player coming out of HS and didn't play like it at FSU. In fact, he dogged it on more than one occasion. Edwards mailed it in his last year at FSU and it actually irritated me a great deal. I expected him to drop further. That being said, Edwards carries a lot of talent and I wouldn't be shocked if he dominated as a pro.

Eddie Goldman went lower than expected to the Bears in the 2nd round, #39 overall. Goldman is a tremendous fit for the Bears and should start from day 1. This guy was the 2nd best Nole in the draft and tremendous value in the 2nd round. Should be a stud for the Bears. Other than Winston, I am most confident in Goldman's NFL success, barring injury of course.

Ronald Darby was also a top 50 selection giving the Noles 5. Darby was picked by the Buffalo Bills whom FSU seems to be a pipeline for. This pick was criticized especially by people that thought PJ was the better corner at FSU. I was not one of those people. I thought Darby had more talent all along and was better all-around. However, much like Edwards, I felt like Darby had a disappointing last season.

PJ Williams was selected in the 3rd round, #78 overall by the Saints. I think this is good value at this point, but as I said earlier I think Darby is the better corner and disagree with those that say otherwise.

Tre Jackson was selected in the 4th round, #111 overall by the Patriots. This selection reunites him with their starter at center and last year's 4th round selection Bryan Stork. The Patriots win Super Bowls because of picks like these. As much as I have hated this organization in the past, I must say it is getting difficult. Since the Hernandez murder they do seem to be picking players from the correct FL school now. This is a great spot for Jackson and one of the better picks of the draft by the Patriots.

Every Seminole loved the Jaguars selection at 139 overall in the 5th round. At that point they selected Rashad Greene who is one of the most beloved Seminoles of all-time. There is absolutely 0 Seminoles that don't like Rashad. I booed this selection because I don't think Jacksonville is the best location for Greene and I really wanted him to stay in Tampa. However, Jacksonville worked out great for a Seminole picked in the 5th round last year. Telvin Smith was a huge steal for the Jaguars last year and Rashad Greene will be the same.

Karlos Williams was surprisingly the next selection as he went in the 5th round at pick 155. This was one that caught me off guard because he was one of the borderline guys to get drafted. The Bills came along and snatched this guy up. I'm sure it helped that he was still learning the position and that his brother is a starter for the Steelers. This is a very interesting pick that could go either way, but I like that he will be at the FSU pipeline team and that he is reunited with EJ Manuel. That fact could be fantastic for both of their careers.

My personal favorite non-Winston Nole went next in the 6th round at 194 overall. The Bills came through again to select Nick O'Leary. He fell in the draft because of a torn hamstring in the Rose Bowl and concerns over the size of his arms. This guy shouldn't have fell in the draft though. There is nobody in this draft that plays with more intensity and heart. He finished that Rose Bowl game with the torn hamstring btw. Oh ya, and he got in a crash with a bus once and the bus lost. This guy is simply fantastic and will become a fan favorite in Buffalo just like he was at FSU.

Finally, to finished it off and break the record was Bobby Hart. The tackle was selected with the 226th overall pick in the 7th round. I was starting to get nervous we wouldn't break the record before Hart got drafted. I had him as the least likely of the 12 to get drafted. However, it is quite apparent to all FSU fans that this guy has a lot of potential. We just would have liked that potential to be turned into production more at FSU. He will always hold a special place with us as a National Champion and the guy that broke this record though. That is until we break it again in a few years.

Josue Matias surprisingly to many was not selected. I thought he would be selected late, but was not shocked by him not signing. That being said he found an NFL home as an undrafted FA signing with the Tennessee Titans. Matias was awful in the Rose Bowl and I would have loved him to be more consistent this season, but he shows flashes of brilliance and could put it together for Tennessee.

Hope you enjoyed this Seminole draft wrap-up. Stay tuned for the next several weeks as I go back to every draft of my lifetime and have the teams re-draft based upon what we know today. It has been a very interesting research project so far. Have a wonderful week and stay tuned for the 1987 NFL Re-Draft.

-Noland

The NFL Draft Starts Tomorrow

With the NFL Draft starting tomorrow, I wanted to give my ten stories I am most going to follow heading into the draft. The seemingly obvious stories like Jameis being picked #1 will not be included. However, before I get into that, if Jameis isn't picked #1 I will be shocked and quite upset with the Bucs franchise. Here are my 10 biggest storylines I will be following heading into draft day.

10) Where do the QBs end up?
We think we know that Jameis will be going #1 to Tampa, but what else happens with the QB position. It is quite intriguing at this time. Does Mariota really go #2? I really want Mariota to succeed, but I have him as about the 4th QB in this class and I just don't see his skills translating to the pros. The two other QBs I have between him and Jameis, Brett Hundley, and Garrett Grayson will be good NFL QBs IMO. I want all these guys to be quite successful which puts me apart from the Winston haters. I like all 5 of these guys, but Winston is heads and shoulders above the rest. I also truly believe that Mariota and Petty are system QBs. Really want to be wrong about those two.

9) Where does my second highest rated player (Danny Shelton) go?
I haven't really gotten to get into it on here, but I love Danny Shelton as a football player. I am probably one of the only guys who has him above Leonard Williams (although I have Williams at 3). Shelton is a former state champ shot putter which just shows the amazing strength he possesses. My favorite quality of his though is that as big as he is and as hard as he is to move, he has incredible quickness. This guy is going to be an All-Pro. Williams has a great shot as well though.

8) Is Todd Gurley the 1st RB off the board and does he go round 1?
Now don't get me wrong I love Todd Gurley's game. While I don't agree with taking a RB in round 1 I would agree that Gurley is the exception to the rule, but only if he is healthy. The guy isn't healthy though. He has been banged up. The last time a RB that was damaged goods was the best back since Adrian Peterson it was Darren McFadden. The Cowboys new RB has had an injury plagued career and hasn't come close to his potential. Gurley and McFadden were very similar in college whether you want to acknowledge it or not. Picking Gurley in this spot is too big of a risk to me. Because of the injuries, I actually have Ameer Abdullah as the highest RB on my board. Abdullah is a late 2nd round pick to me as well. Likely Gurley and Melvin Gordon will be overdrafted and it might not stop there.

7) When do the Clemson defensive players come off the board?
The Clemson Tigers had the #1 defense in college football last season and absolutely shut down Oklahoma in their bowl game. Their highest rated is DE/LB Vic Beasley who can go anywhere from 5th to 15th. Beasley will be a top 15 selection though. One of the more underrated players in this draft in my opinion is DT Grady Jarrett who is projected to go in Round 2. DE Corey Crawford is a projected 6th round draft pick. This defensive line was the strength of Clemson's team last year and could make some NFL teams quite happy.

6) Who is the 1st offensive lineman selected?
Most mocks I have seen have Iowa's Brandon Scherff as the top tackle and a projected pick at #10. 10 seems low to me because there are some quality linemen in this draft. Scherff and Peat are both top 10 players I think and an argument can be made for Le'al Collins as well there. They have similar grades for me and will all be very quality pros. Which of the 3 gets picked 1st will be quite interesting to me.

5) How many defensive lineman go round 1?
The deepest position in this draft is defensive line. Based on grades myself and others have given, there should be a plethora of defensive lineman selected early. 3 of my top 5 players in this class are defensive lineman (Shelton, Williams, and Fowler). I know several others are in the same boat. Add in the aforementioned Clemson studs and FSU's own Eddie Goldman and there are a lot of options early. We haven't even mentioned guys like Randy Gregory either. My prediction is that around 10 defensive lineman go in Round 1. That is about 1/3 of the picks being used up front on defense. My highest rated of this group is Danny Shelton as I stated earlier and my favorite is Goldman.

4) Will the Gators have multiple 1st round picks?
We all know that Dante Fowler is a Top 10 pick, but DJ Humphries is also rated high. There is a very likely chance that the 4-8ers will have two first round picks. I can't really remember a time when a worse team had two first round picks. The 4-8 season wasn't this season, but both players were a part of it. The Gators have been awful in each of the last two seasons.

3) What do the Bucs do outside of the Winston selection?
It is widely believed that Jameis Winston will be the Bucs selection at Round 1, but what do they do after that. This team needs some depth up front on both sides and I hope they take advantage of the new draft format. After selecting Winston it would be nice to see the Bucs trade down in Round 2 and acquire more picks. Seeing Winston with one of his college teammates like Tre Jackson in Round 2 would be awesome. This team has a few needs and one trade down or a trade from next year's draft could really help this thing get turned around. Maybe they can trade next years 1st for the opportunity to get back in the 1st round and come away with Winston and say Andrus Peat. There are a lot of exciting options for the Bucs in this draft after they take Winston.

2) Where do the Seminoles land?
I am very excited to see where the Seminoles end up as 10-11 players are expected to be drafted. Outside of Winston the next highest rated player is Goldman and he will likely be a 1st rounder. Ronald Darby and Cam Erving are also possibilities to go round 1. Tre Jackson will likely be a 2nd round selection with a lot of intrigue. At the end of Day 2 and possibly into day 3 it will get really exciting with my two favorite Noles in this draft (other than Winston of course). Nick O'Leary and Rashad Greene were fantastic Noles and seeing where they end up will be awesome.

1) Do the Seminoles break the record for most players drafted in a 3 year span?
The current record for players drafted in a 3 year span is 28. That record is held by Miami (2002-2004) and USC (2008-2010). The Seminoles have a good chance to break it. During the 2013 draft the Seminoles had 11 players selected. They had 7 more in 2014. That means that they had 18 players selected the last two years. With 10 more this year they would tie the record and with 11 more they break it. See what 29 straight wins will do for you. That #29 is special for the Noles 29 straight wins and 29 draft picks in 3 years.
FSU has 10 players considered locks
Jameis
PJ Williams
Eddie Goldman
Ronald Darby
Cam Erving
Tre Jackson
Mario Edwards
Rashad Greene
Nick O'Leary
Josue Matias (not as convinced about him)
These players would tie the record. Add in Karlos Williams and they break it. Bobby Hart is also considered a possibility to be drafted, but I don't see it happening. Hart was the weak link on the FSU offensive line and seemed to regress each season. It will be exciting to see if the Noles can do it. I think they break it with exactly 11 guys this year for a grand total of 29. These two will certainly help the Noles get there....

Next week I will let you know where all those Seminoles land and if they break the record.
Go Noles!

-Noland

Replacing the Drafted Seminoles

This past April, the Florida State Seminoles had 11 players drafted into the NFL. Another (Lonnie Pryor) is looking to make the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent. That makes 12 key Seminoles that have to be replaced. Is it possible that FSU could actually be a better team with all that talent leaving? Let's take a look position by position.

Quaterback
Outgoing: EJ Manuel
Incoming: Jameis Winston

How do the Noles replace a 4 time bowl winner? How about with a former #1 overall QB prospect. You would expect a huge dropoff here, but after the spring game I don't really buy it. Winston beat out the son of one of the coaches to claim this job. A guy that looked very composed in gametime against Clemson and Oklahoma. I think Winston will be fine. If Fisher opens up the playbook and doesn't run such a vanilla offense Winston could actually outperform Manuel. A lot of it depends on the playcalling. All of the wide receivers are coming back, four of five lineman, and two very productive backs. The talent is there from Winston and everyone else.

Runningback
Outgoing: Chris Thompson
Incoming: James Wilder Jr.
Chris Thompson while lightning fast and incredibly explosive was hurt the majority of the last two years. Wilder and Freeman showed flashes of brilliance last year and should take the next step as juniors this year. This could be a very good backfield duo. Wilder looks to be an absolute beast and many are predicting first team All-ACC for the back. If Wilder can play every game like that Clemson game last year, teams better watch out.


Fullback
Outgoing: Lonnie Pryor
Incoming: Chad Abram
Lonnie Pryor is a huge loss for the Seminoles. Pryor was a leader, a playmaker, and an unsung hero. He did all of the little things and was my favorite Seminole the past few years. I am very concerned with how he can be replaced. As worried as I am though, I trust that the talent is there. Wilder could play in a lot of sets the same time as Freeman. Chad Abram could be a very good blocking fullback as well.

Offensive Tackle
Outgoing: Manelik Watson
Incoming: Bobby Hart
Manelik Watson was an incredible talent and an interesting prospect with a lot of upside. Most considered him a project and thought he needed a little more seasoning in college. So of course the Oakland Raiders drafted him because most consider him not ready for the pros. Watson's talent will be missed, but he certainly is a replaceable piece. Bobby Hart has started several games for the Noles in the past and gives the Noles what could be considered a fully returning offensive line. That should give some comfort to the young signal caller for the Noles. The offensive line should be a strength for Florida State and that hasn't been a common theme lately.

Defensive Tackle
Outgoing: Everett Dawkins
Incoming: Eddie Goldman
Dawkins was in a three man rotation at tackle with McAlister and Jernigan. Most people considered Dawkins the worst talent of the group, but he got plenty of time because he was a senior. Now that he's gone, the other two will get even more time and Eddie Goldman will look to be the #3 guy. Goldman is a former 5 star recruit that Warchant considers the #5 most likely Nole to breakout this season. Goldman could likely breakout with increased time and all that talent. The future NFL player looks to make an impact for FSU in 2013.

Defensive End
Outgoing: Bjoern Werner, Brandon Jenkins, and Tank Carradine
Incoming: Mario Edwards, Dan Hicks, and Chris Casher
Brandon Jenkins was considered the best of the group and was even my #1 Seminole heading into 2012 and then he got hurt in game 1. That crushed most Seminole fans including me. However, Tank Carradine filled in and did a great job. Finally, Bjoern Werner proved he clearly deserved to be a 1st round pick. What an amazing group. How can the Seminoles possibly replace that?
They replace it by being loaded at defensive end. FSU is officially becoming DE U. Mario Edwards is a former #1 player in the nation who filled in during the bowl game while Carradine was hurt. Edwards is a monster and no Seminole fan doubts he will be successful, but some are concerned about the other two spots. They shouldn't be though. Dan Hicks is a senior leader and super athletic. Chris Casher is a former All-American and four star recruit. Casher was the #36 player overall in his class.

Linebacker
Outgoing: Nick Woody and Vince Williams
Incoming: Terrance Smith and Telvin Smith
Vince Williams was considered by some the best player in his unit, but Chrisitan Jones was the superior football player and he is coming back for his senior season. Telvin Smith actually started quite a few times last year and got at least even playing time with Nick Moody. With Smith and Jones back this should be a great group. Terrance Smith is a workhorse sophomore that looks to impress. If there is a question in the linebacking corps it is with the younger Smith as he is a bit more unknown.

Defensive Back
Outgoing: Xavier Rhodes
Incoming: Nick Waisome
Xavier Rhodes was one of the best corners in the country. However, it occasionally looked like he took some plays off. I do not foresee that problem with Waisome as I have talked about him in the past. Rhodes is a better player and was the best prospect on FSU's roster last year, but Waisome could have a big year. The Seminoles need Waisome to fill the void left by Rhodes. This is the most key starter on defense for the Noles. If Waisome plays a great corner, FSU likely will have the best defensive backfield in the ACC and one of the best in the country. If he isn't it could be a disappointing season defensively. The rest of the defensive backfield looks great.

Kicker
Outgoing: Dustin Hopkins
Incoming: Roberto Aguayo
Dustin Hopkins was one of the best kickers in the history of college football. Replacing him is a tough task. However, it is possible. FSU replaced the amazing Graham Gano with an even better kicker in Dustin Hopkins. Don't expect that here. Hopkins is so good it would be unfair to expect someone better. Hopkins is an amazing kicker, but his great job replacing Gano gives Noles fans hope. There is hope that Roberto Aguayo can follow in the footsteps of awesome recent FSU kickers.

Overall, I think the Noles can replace all of these great athletes. It is one of the many reasons that I expect FSU to have a big year and possibly be a contender.

-Noland