Round Projections for Seminoles Entering the Draft (Pre-Combine)

The time has come once again for the draft “experts” to emerge from the shadows and shed light on one of the more…interesting processes in football. Draft season has everything: wild speculation, smokescreen stories, implausible (sometimes impossible) trade proposals, and even a Drake song.

A big story last year was the 11 draft picks Florida State procured, setting a 3-year high for players selected from one school. A mix of good recruiting and good coaching has basically ensured that Florida State will remain relevant to the draft process as long as Jimbo Fisher is the head coach.

That being said, this year will be a rare deviation from the usual draft successes for Florida State. Due to underclassmen leaving early and the way recruiting classes cycle, there will only be a handful of players that might get drafted. This is in stark contrast to the almost guaranteed 5-plus picks that Florida State has experienced the past few drafts under Fisher.

Nevertheless, we decided to try our hand at the topic again, and have compiled a list of Seminoles leaving for the draft and predicting where they’ll get selected if at all. These are pre-combine numbers of course, and there is still a lot of time for players to rise — or fall depending on how things work out.

Jalen Ramsey (CB/S) – First Round

Without a doubt the most surefire player to go in the top 10 is Ramsey. Unless something like a freak injury or previously unheard of legal situations arise, Ramsey will probably be gone by the sixth pick.

Frankly, there are just not many athletes with the versatility Ramsey has. It was clear from his high school days that he was going to be a freak on the football field. Whether it be his great verticality, hard-hittingnature, or overall versatility, Ramsey truly has the ability to be an all-time great defensive back. That is not a statement which gets tossed around freely.

The only knock on Ramsey would be how he slacked off on some plays during the 2015 season. It’s not especially hard to see why, considering the risk of injury for someone slated to go in the top 10. Some of this could be attributed to the position change from safety to cornerback and his willingness to be aggressive. Either way, holding his opponents to the numbers he did shows that even when he is “lax”, he’s still an elite corner.

Reggie Northrup (LB) – Sixth to Undrafted

Some might draw parallels between Reggie Northrup and former FSU linebacker Telvin Smith. Both linebackers often put up gaudy tackle numbers and always seemed to be consistent parts of the defense. Unfortunately, it’s hard to see Northrup (as of now) taking the same path.

Physically, Northrup is slightly smaller than what the top prospects usually measure up in. He will probably have a middle-of-the-pack combine performance which will at least give him a better chance of being drafted. But his main issues of poor pass coverage and lack of backfield penetration might be enough to allow him to go undrafted. It is not a good sign that he was largely passed over on the roster until injuries started to hit.

That being said, Northrup could still provide a value pickup if he was to sign as an undrafted free agent or get selected in the late rounds. He won’t start right out of the gate. But at the very least, he does have a good sense of where run plays are going.

So don’t mark Northrup off just yet. But also don’t expect him to make the same impact previous linebackers from FSU have.

Terrance Smith (LB) – Fourth to Sixth Round

It would be interesting to see how Smith’s draft stock would change if he had been healthy all year. He missed four games in 2015 and it was clear that his ankle injury was bothering him in the other nine. One could easily make the argument that Smith’s issues were what prevented the defense from being even better this year.

When healthy, Smith is at the upper end of this round projection. Despite some pass coverage issues late in the year, he is still a very balanced linebacker who doesn’t fail in any aspect of the position. Then again, he doesn’t really excel in many aspects either.

Perhaps his biggest strength is his awareness. Smith seems to be in the right place at the right time whenever his team needs it (he forces the fumble in the first link). That is something that is hard to teach and it is ultimately what might get him drafted before the seventh round.

Nile Lawrence-Stample (DT) – Fifth to Seventh Round

Much like Smith above him, Nile Lawrence-Stample could have been even higher if he was able to stay healthy. His 2015 year was pretty good, but one wonders just how much a full 2014 season would have helped in his development.

But even with the injuries, Lawrence-Stample could be going even higher. His CBS draft profile describes him as a fourth rounder with his only real knock being his lack of playing experience. As a defensive tackle, he does everything pretty well. He has good speed, power, length, and technique. It’s not crazy to say that he could have been another Eddie Goldman if he hadn’t been injured.

Of all the players on this list, Lawrence-Stample might be the most surprising one. Many signs point to him making a bigger impact at the next level than he did in college.

Lamarcus Brutus (DB) – Sixth to Undrafted

Nobody is denying that Brutus’ presence