With the 2021 NFL Draft just a few days away, let’s take a look at the crop of former Florida State players projected to be selected this weekend.
Six Seminoles are likely to be drafted, including some of the last players who signed with former FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher out of high school. The last time Florida State had six or more players taken in the NFL Draft was 2015, when they had an impressive 11 alumni selected to cap off a record three-year stretch.
Find out below where each of the six FSU prospects may be picked according to draft experts before the first round begins Thursday at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network.
Defensive back Asante Samuel Jr.
After a standout junior season, Samuel is the consensus top FSU prospect on the board. He has a great chance to either be a late first-rounder or an early pick on day two. The former four-star recruit is the No. 29 overall prospect and fifth-ranked cornerback on Pro Football Focus’s big board.
As far as mock drafts go, NFL.com has Samuel picked at No. 41 by the Detroit Lions while SI.com latest projections have him joining former FSU quarterback Jameis Winston in New Orleans and landing in the first round with pick No. 28.
Meanwhile, CBSSports.com rates the St. Thomas Aquinas product even more favorably as the third-best cornerback prospect. They have Samuel going in the first round to the upstart Buffalo Bills with the No. 30 selection. ProFootballNetwork.com views Samuel as more of a day two pick and they think the Pittsburgh Steelers will grab him at pick No. 55.
Defensive lineman Marvin Wilson
Draft pundits agree Marvin Wilson is a near-lock for the middle rounds of the draft, but are split just how far the talented defensive tackle’s stock has dropped since higher projections following the end of his junior season.
Wilson’s hometown team, the Houston Texans, currently hold the No. 67 (third round), No. 109 (fourth round), and the No. 147 (fifth round) picks, as well as five more selections in the back end of the draft. Defensive line could be an area the Texans address, particularly with the departure of three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt in free agency this offseason.
CBS Sports instead has the former Seminole staying in the state of Florida and joining the Jacksonville Jaguars via the No. 145 pick and with the very first selection of the fifth round. Pro Football Network agrees, placing Wilson just three spots ahead at No. 142 to the Green Bay Packers.
According to NFL.com, Wilson will stay in the state of Florida and join the Miami Dolphins via the No. 81 pick in the middle of the third round. Wilson is the eighth-best interior defensive lineman and the No. 94 overall player in the 2021 class by PFF’s metrics.
Defensive back Hamsah Nasirildeen
Another former Florida State player who has shown plenty enough at the collegiate level to be a sure-fire draft pick is Hamsah Nasirildeen. CBS Sports has the versatile prospect heading to the Atlanta Falcons with the third selection of the fourth round and No. 108 overall.
The Las Vegas Raiders may look to replace a Nole with another Nole, as Pro Football Network projects Nasirildeen to the Raiders in the third round at No. 79. Former FSU standout Lamarcus Joyner just left the Raiders last month to sign with the New York Jets.
Nasirildeen is the third-best FSU prospect available the No. 129 overall player in the draft according to PFF. His name will be called much earlier than that says NFL.com, who have the Detroit Lions picking him at No. 72 in the third round.
Defensive lineman Joshua Kaindoh
Joshua Kaindoh continues a defensive-heavy list of FSU draftees and is extremely likely to be picked up on day three of the 2021 Draft. CBS Sports has him projected the most favorably as a fourth-round selection to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 129.
NFL.com thinks Kaindoh will head to Dallas and join the Cowboys after being picked at No. 179 as a compensatory fifth-rounder.
While some outlets have Kaindoh as the first of the three FSU defensive lineman picked, Pro Football Network has him as the last of the group to come off the board at the start of the fifth round at No. 154 to the New York Jets.
Wide receiver Tamorrion Terry
PFF only has Tamorrion Terry as the No. 193 player in the draft class, and he isn’t even among the top 25 players at his position. But the wideout’s deep threat abilities could serve him well and help him to outperform his draft projections.
Sporting News has Terry No. 96 and higher on their board than any of the three FSU defensive lineman available. Terry will land in the middle of the fifth round to the Washington Football Team with the No. 163 pick according to CBS Sports, but NFL.com says he will go much earlier at No. 109 to the Houston Texans.
Defensive lineman Janarius Robinson
Draft experts have waffled whether Janarius Robinson or Kaindoh will go first, but nearly every outlet has both picked in their full mock draft. PFF has Robinson (No. 180) 32 spots below Kaindoh (No. 144) in their 2021 class rankings.
There will be back-to-back Noles picked if Pro Football Network’s projections play out, as they have Robinson going No. 141 to the Los Angeles Rams one slot ahead of Wilson.
Robinson was slated to the Baltimore Ravens at No. 136 on NFL.com and the Minnesota Vikings at No. 168 on CBS Sports.