Steve Mitchell – USA TODAY Sports
In the 2013 NFL Draft, Florida State set a school record with 11 players selected, more than any other program. Among 11 draft picks, three were selected in the first round: senior quarterback EJ Manuel (16), junior defensive end Bjoern Werner (24) and junior cornerback Xavier Rhodes (25).
Once again, the Seminoles are poised to make another big splash in the 2014 NFL Draft. Seniors cornerback Lamarcus Joyner, linebacker Christian Jones, safety Terrence Brooks, linebacker Telvin Smith, center Bryan Stork, defensive tackle Demonte McCallister, defensive tackle Jacobbi McDaniel, defensive end Dan Hicks and wide receiver Kenny Shaw all have legitimate chances to be drafted. Also, don’t forget about this familiar name: Greg Reid, who suffered an ACL injury before last years draft. Reid figures to enter the draft in 2014.
In addition to the seniors, Florida State has a plethora of potential early-exit players who could be drafted. I’m not going to speculate on exactly which players might make an early entry into the NFL draft, but most fans have an idea of who that would probably include. I predict at the very least two players will forgo their senior seasons and enter the draft. It should be noted that junior left tackle Cameron Erving and junior defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan have both received first-round grades from CBS.com’s draft experts.
The amount of draft picks programs produce plays a huge role in recruiting. In fact, I would venture to guess that as among all highly recruited prospects, the majority would say that NFL production is one of the most important factors in their decision, if not the single most important factor. It’s a long time from now, but another strong draft would lead to another great recruiting class for the Florida State Seminoles in 2015.
With Jimbo Fisher at the helm, don’t be surprised if Florida State is one of the biggest NFL pipelines in the country for many years to come.
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