Florida State Seminoles Top NFL Draft Prospects for 2013 and Beyond
3 E.J. Manuel, Quarterback, RS Senior 6’4″ 245 pounds
Prior to last season, it was expected that E.J. Manuel was going to be one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football. He wasn’t a slouch but he and the ‘Noles didn’t exactly drop any jaws. He threw for 2,666 yards and only 18 touchdowns with eight interceptions, and he had two games last year against Oklahoma and Florida where he didn’t even hit 100 yards passing. That is unacceptable for a guy who is being talked about as a first round prospect, but the talent is certainly there for the FSU signal caller. On the hoof, he has ideal size and overall athletic ability. He has a strong arm and a quick release, and he has shown improvement in his decision making. Sometimes will lock into his primary read and really decrease his overall time in the pocket because he’s not going through enough progressions. The talent and potential are certainly there, but he was a rookie last year and it showed. He has a tremendous ceiling but he needs to emerge as an elite player in 2012 or he is going to be a mid-round pick. He has good footwork and steps into his throws really well. He is slowly but surely adapting to the mental part of football, and when he figures that out, he is going to be really hard to stop.
2011 notes:
Manuel enters his first season as the unquestioned number one quarterback on the Florida State roster, and he could be poised for a big season. Has been tweaking and perfecting his mechanics and footwork for the last couple of years, to the point where head coach Jimbo Fisher has indicated he should see significant improvements in accuracy and arm strength, and has decreased his chances of re-injuring his shoulder (which he has had problems with in the past). Perhaps not a candidate to leave early because he is so raw, but he should be the focal point of the FSU offense this year, and could be poised for a huge season. Fans will want to see him make great strides in his touchdown/interception ratio, which last year was 1:1, even though he only threw 93 passes overall. Big, rangy athlete with a strong arm and solid vision down the field. A threat to move the chains any time he touches the ball because of his ability to scramble. To this point, has been more of a thrower than a passer, which has resulted in some poor throws and interceptions. Still, his completion percentage has always been high. When he sets his feet correctly, his accuracy down the field is dead on, and he has a strong enough arm to complete any and every NFL throw. Look for this kid to really break out in 2011 and potentially vault himself into first round discussion with a solid year as a first time starter.
84 Rodney Smith, Wide Receiver, Senior 6’5″ 216 pounds
Big, tall, athletic receiver who is finally gaining steam and relevancy as an NFL prospect after a slow start to his collegiate career. Still, it’s a slow climb for Rodney Smith, who should be/could be one of the most dominant receivers in college football at this point. He was a huge prospect coming out of high school and finally showed some flashes of exactly why he was last year with a career high 561 yards and four touchdowns. Has great size and length, and takes pride in blocking as a receiver.
2011 Notes:
Big, tall receiver who made strides as a sophomore. I think he will go back for a senior year barring a huge breakout season in 2010, but he has all the skill in the world to make an impact in the NFL. Tough to cover because of his size, and you can use him in a variety of different ways in the passing game. Had 31 receptions for 448 yards and three touchdowns in 2010, showing that his status as a top of the line recruit was warranted. Not a fast receiver, really, but definitely has a second gear and can create mismatches down the field. Really knows how to get separation, and has good body control. Definitely a name to watch going forward.
82 Willie Haulstead, Wide Receiver, RS Junior 6’3″ 233 pounds
Haulstead is a fantastic receiver prospect on the field, but he’s got a lot of making up to do after missing the entire 2011 season after a concussion before the year started. He hasn’t played since 2010 where he was very productive with Christian Ponder at quarterback, but he is fortunate to have another chance and I applaud him for taking a year off after the concussion. I’m not sure he planned on doing that, but it’s important to recover from those things and not let them become a pattern. I was searching for some news on the guy after he basically vanished when he went down with injury, and here’s a comment from back in April from head coach Jimbo Fisher about Haulstead’s progress and return:
“He’s starting to get better,” Fisher said. “He still needs to lose some weight; he got a little big. If not I’m going to move him to middle linebacker. … He hurt his heel right off the bat [in spring ball] which hindered him. He’s playing better, moving better. He had a nice catch and run for a long touchdown the other day. He’s progressing. He needs to have a great summer to get back in shape and get back to that old form.”
2011 Notes:
Another big play receiver who really broke out in 2010 with 38 receptions for 587 yards and six touchdowns. Lengthy receiver who can go up and get the ball in traffic, and make plays down the field. Big, strong hands and capable of making the tough receptions. Decent route runner with definite room for improvement in that area, but he’s still fairly raw. Not afraid to take a big hit in traffic, and could add 10 pounds of muscle and not lose any of his speed. Excellent red zone target because of his length and leaping ability. Good ability to track the ball on go routes, and really has good body control. FSU has a group of WR’s that will make highlight reel plays game after game, and this guy might be the most exciting of all of them.
49 Brandon Jenkins, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker, Senior 6’3″ 265 pounds
Everyone knew it was going to be tough for Jenkins to match the production he had as a sophomore, which was absolutely sick with 21.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks but Jenkins’ overall game didn’t deteriorate and he remains one of the two or three best defensive end/outside linebacker prospects in the draft. He could have easily come out as a junior after recording 41 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, as well as eight sacks, but he decided to return for a senior season to a loaded FSU defensive line where he will be featured as arguably the best overall player. Obviously coming back to school has exposed more of Jenkins’ overall game, and the best quality he possesses is an extremely quick first step, but he is also very good using his hands. He needs to learn how to stay low and not get engulfed by blockers at times, but the talent is certainly there. As a 4-3 defensive end, he is not quite ideal size but he could still be very productive there. He will get a lot of looks from teams who utilize both schemes, though he doesn’t have much experience dropping in coverage. His pursuit to the ball is very good, and he should be a first or second round pick come April.
2011 Notes:
First team All ACC as a sophomore with 55 tackles and 13.5 sacks along with 21.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Really emerged as one of the best pass rushers in the country, and one of the top defensive ends overall. Slightly undersized with upside potentially as a rush linebacker in the NFL. Jenkins has great burst off the line, and doesn’t let anything get past him. Uses his great arm length and upper body strength to beat offensive tackles, and also has good speed off the edge. Very, very good form tackler, and made Denver Broncos second round pick Orlando Franklin look like he was standing still as he bent around the edge and sacked the Miami QB. Absolutely relentless with advanced technique for his age, and played RE almost exclusively for the Seminoles. Never gives up on a play. Also saw action on special teams, and his like a ton of bricks. One of my favorite defensive end prospects for next year or 2013, whenever he opts to go to the NFL. Absolutely a top of the line pass rushing prospect, and could be a top five talent.
95 Bjoern Werner, Defensive End, 6’4″ 274 pounds Junior
Werner is a German-born, former foreign exchange student who didn’t begin playing football until he was 15 years old, when he immediately fell in love with the game. That love for the game shows up on every single play you see from this guy, and might be his greatest asset. Not only is Werner a hard worker off the field, but he will make you pay for taking a play off on the field. His intensity and passion for the game are nearly unmatched, and on Florida State’s star-studded defense he was named MVP after Spring last season. That hard work translated to the field where he was second on the team with 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He emerged as a very good run stuffer but also showed development in his pass rush skills. What’s great about Werner is, he is a dynamic player who is a very good athlete and plays with great speed. He is relentless in pursuit and I think he could emerge as a potential first round pick this year, though many are already talking about him as such. When it’s time to turn on the jets and get to the quarterback, he is tough to miss when you watch FSU games.
93 Everett Dawkins, Defensive Tackle, RS Senior 6’2″ 301 pounds
Dawkins has added a lot of weight over the last couple of years to become a 300 pound tackle, but he still possesses good quickness and is capable of both taking up blocks and opening lanes for his star teammates at FSU. His quickness off the ball is very good, and he was really productive from the DT position last year as a junior with 25 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble, an interception, and three passes broken up. He should be one of the workout warriors among defensive linemen, but he’s had some injury issues throughout his career. He is a solid defensive tackle prospect who should be a mid-round pick at worst if he is able to stay healthy and test well.
10 Nick Moody, Linebacker/Safety, Senior 6’2″ 224 pounds
Only played in nine games as a junior after breaking out in 2010 as a big time playmaker at the safety position, where he had 79 tackles, four tackles for loss, an interception returned 96 yards for a touchdown, and a forced fumble and recovery. He definitely has some playmaking skills but he will be making a transition to the linebacker position after an injury-riddled 2011 where he finished with just 23 tackles. He is a good athlete for a linebacker who needs to add a little bit of weight to his frame and should be an OLB in a 4-3 at the next level.
5 Greg Reid, Cornerback, Senior 5’8″ 185 pounds
Reid has some injury problems and obviously is very small fo a cornerback prospect, which will/could hurt him at the NFL level, but he has great speed and playmaking ability, and he’s been productive as a member of the Seminoles’ very talented defensive backfield. He is an excellent punt returner who could find a niche in the NFL as a return specialist or special teams player. As a cornerback, he is probably too short to hold up against NFL receivers for a lengthy period of time, but he could certainly make an impact as a nickel or dime defensive back and because of his versatility and athletic ability, he should be picked in the mid-late rounds.
27 Xavier Rhodes, Cornerback, Junior 6’1″ 215 pounds
Rhodes has excellent and rare size for a cornerback prospect, and while he suffered an injury early in his career, he has been able to adjust to being a full-time defensive player and one of the best in the country. After a stellar freshman season with 57 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, four interceptions, and 12 passes broken up. Not surprisingly, his numbers took a huge dive as a sophomore, but teams didn’t really throw it his way very often. He needs to be more disciplined, but as a cornerback, he is about as good as they come in terms of the overall game. As a former receiver, he has excellent ball skills and he is a willing hitter who had 43 last year.
2011 Notes:
He is a safety with a cornerback skill set, much like Antrel Rolle of the New York Giants. This year Rolle has been called on to cover slot wide receivers because of the extraordinary amount of injuries in the Giants secondary and he has responded well. Rolle is also an effective blitzer, and a beast in run support. This is the kind of player Rhodes can be (maybe even better). There are times where Rolle can lose his concentration and kept beat deep or take bad angles on the ball, but he is very talented. Rolle also runs his mouth a lot and I’m not sure if Rhodes does that so there’s a difference too.
Rhodes has a dynamic skill set and the physical ability to play both the cornerback spot and safety at the N.F.L. level and in a system where he would get to do a lot of press he could be a shut down corenrback in this league. Aldon Smith went really high last year so it’s possible for Redshirt sophomores to go high, but Rhodes will likely return next season where he could sure up a top 10 selection in 2013