NFL draft evaluations for Florida State’s 5 early entries
By John Crist
A school-record five Seminoles have made themselves available for the draft before their eligibility expired, and all of them can expect to be taken early
While a lot of Florida State fans are disappointed that five key members of this past season’s College Football Playoff team have decided to leave school early, they should commend coach Jimbo Fisher for being one of the best recruiters in the country.
Quarterback Jameis Winston, defensive linemen Mario Edwards Jr. and Eddie Goldman and cornerbacks Ronald Darby and P.J. Williams have all made themselves available for the NFL draft, Winston after his redshirt sophomore year and the others following their junior campaigns. The quintet was part of the 2012 recruiting class, a group that so far has gone 39-3, won three straight ACC titles and captured the program’s third national championship in 2013.
Unlike last year, when running back James Wilder Jr. was among the entries and didn’t even hear his name called, each of FSU’s early departures is expected to be a high pick — several will go in Round 1, and none should slide past Round 2. Since there is no commodity in the NFL more valuable these days than a franchise QB, Winston stands a reasonable chance to go No. 1 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Edwards and Goldman have showcased the ability to both stop the run and rush the passer, and Darby and Williams have each displayed the characteristics of a shutdown corner in man-to-man coverage.
Here is a draft snapshot for these now former Seminoles, including a possible NFL destination to begin their careers.
Jameis Winston
A 6-4, 235-pounder from Bessemer (Ala.) Hueytown High School, Winston completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 3,907 yards with 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, plus he added three more scores as a rusher. His numbers pale in comparison to what he did as a redshirt freshman, when he led the nation in pass efficiency (184.9) and put together a blistering TD-to-INT ratio of 40-to-10, but he did it without two of his most productive targets — Kelvin Benjamin was a first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers, while Kenny Shaw is currently on the practice squad for the Oakland Raiders — and was forced to break in a handful of inexperienced skill-position players. While his decisions off the field were a constant headache for teammates, coaches and fans alike, on the field he was an unquestioned leader, a clutch performer and the most gifted signal caller to ever lace ’em up in Tallahassee.
"If you base things purely off of Winston’s game tape, he is the clear-cut No. 1 prospect in this class. He has very good arm strength and excels from the pocket, showing the ability to anticipate throws and make NFL-style reads. He also appears to be a very good on-field leader. The risk with Winston has to do with his well-documented off-field behavioral issues, and teams that consider drafting him will have to be comfortable with him from a character and psychological standpoint before taking him to be the face of the franchise. — Todd McShay, ESPN.com"
Possible destination: Tampa Bay at No. 1 overall. The Buccaneers are in desperate need of a passer, as Josh Freeman flamed out in 2013 and the Josh McCown-Mike Glennon duo produced a grand total of two wins in 2014. With Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans both coming off 1,000-yard seasons at receiver, Winston would have enviable weapons at his disposal from Day 1.
Mario Edwards Jr.
A 6-3, 294-pounder from Denton (Tex.) Ryan High School, Edwards was credited with 44 tackles, a team-leading 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, five pass breakups, five passes defensed, two quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. All over the place one week but nowhere to be found the next, the second-generation Seminole never developed into a consistent force off the edge, perhaps due to the fact that he struggled with his weight throughout his garnet-and-gold career. In his two most high-profile outings — last year’s national championship game and this year’s Rose Bowl — he was totally unblockable in a thrilling win over Auburn this past January but made no impact whatsoever in a blowout loss to Oregon on New Year’s Day.
"Though still raw with substantial room to continue to get better, Edwards has the makeup of the ideal 3-4 end or 4-3 tackle who can disrupt the backfield in a number of ways, from multiple spots, and should draw a premium pick come draft day [this] year if he’s able to continue developing at his current trajectory. — Derek Stephens, CBSSports.com"
Possible destination: Baltimore in Round 2. The Ravens have been one of the more creative defensive units in the league for years now, utilizing both three- and four-man fronts in the trenches. With Pernell McPhee likely moving on in free agency, Edwards could offer help as a left end in a 4-3, a five-technique end in a 3-4 and even inside as a tackle in pass-rushing situations.
Eddie Goldman
A 6-4, 315-pounder from Washington (D.C.) Friendship Collegiate Academy, Goldman recorded 35 tackles, eight tackles for loss, a team-leading four sacks, one pass breakup, one pass defensed, one quarterback hit, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. While Edwards got most of the headlines along the D-line for the ‘Noles due to him being the No. 1 recruit in the land three cycles ago, Goldman ultimately became the superior player this season — plus he did it largely without fellow veteran defensive tackle Nile Lawrence-Stample, who went down with an injury in early September. His contributions would have made more of an impact had FSU gotten better play at linebacker, as Goldman certainly did his job penetrating the line of scrimmage and occupying blockers.
"At times dominant against opposing offensive lines, Goldman is widely viewed as a potential star at the next level with his strength, length and athleticism despite having the prototypical weight of an NFL defensive linemen. While there were times when he disappeared — he failed to show up in the box score and on the field against Oregon in the Rose Bowl — Goldman still flashed the ability to take over games when Florida State needed him to. — Bryan Fischer, NFL.com"
Possible destination: Dallas at No. 27 overall. The Cowboys had one of the premier offenses in the league with Tony Romo under center, DeMarco Murray in the backfield, Dez Bryant out wide and Jason Witten at tight end, not to mention a punishing line in the trenches, but their defense remains average. Henry Melton was a disappointment as a free-agent addition, so Goldman would be a quality building block in coordinator Rod Marinelli’s 4-3 scheme.
Ronald Darby
A 5-11, 188-pounder from Oxon Hill (Md.) Potomac High School, Darby registered 43 tackles, one tackle for loss, four pass breakups, four passes defensed and one forced fumble. Numbers don’t tell the whole story for the former track star, as he didn’t pick off a single pass and only managed two INTs during his three-year career — unheard of for a school that boasts corner alumni like Deion Sanders and Terrell Buckley — but opposing quarterbacks simply didn’t challenge his side of the field very often. Although his ball skills leave a little to be desired and he doesn’t necessarily make his presence felt defending the run, he’s a smooth technician in space, recognizes routes quickly and doesn’t get torched very often.
"Darby has 37 tackles with four passes broken up this year and has been a solid contributor on special teams as well. He played well against Oklahoma State in the season opener, but had a mixed outing against Clemson. Darby has been a reliable cover corner for the Seminoles. He has good speed and athleticism to run with receivers to prevent separation. Darby also is put together well so receivers can’t push him around. His receivers rarely ever get open. — WalterFootball.com"
Possible destination: Jacksonville in Round 2. There is light at the end of the tunnel for the Jaguars if Blake Bortles turns out to be the answer at QB, but the rest of the roster is in need of an upgrade at seemingly every position. With two-year starter Alan Ball scheduled to hit free agency, Darby could challenge for the top of the depth chart the moment he arrives.
P.J. Williams
A 6-foot, 196-pounder from Ocala (Fla.) Vanguard High School, Williams racked up 74 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, 10 pass breakups, 11 passes defensed, one quarterback hit, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. A bit of a ‘tweener when he first showed up in the Capital City — it was originally a coin toss whether he would end up at corner or safety — he offers a much more physical style of play than Darby and also leaves the program with twice as many INTs (four). His momentum-changing pick in the BCS title game last year vs. Auburn was supposed to catapult him to stardom, but he never quite took the next step in part because the pass rush in front of him didn’t put enough pressure on the opposing quarterback.
"The athleticism that Williams plays with is unquestioned. He’ll often play like a safety in the box that has the skills and shiftiness of an elite running back, something that stands out when going to tackle and play in open space. He has the potential to be very good at the next level due to his raw skill and speed. When you talk about a guy that just goes out and play football, that’s Williams, and it shows in his above-average ability to keep up with great receivers. — Joe Wedra, NFLMocks.com"
Possible destination: St. Louis in Round 2. Suiting up for the Rams should be a dream for any defensive back, as their front four makes a habit of terrorizing enemy passers, but more playmakers are needed in the secondary. Williams can push incumbents Janoris Jenkins and E.J. Gaines for playing time, plus he would be reunited with fellow former ‘Nole DB Lamarcus Joyner.