/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58231387/usa_today_10326578.0.jpg)
Florida State wide receiver Auden Tate is the latest Seminole to announce that he will be declaring for the 2018 NFL Draft, forgoing his final season.
To The Most High I Will Forever Be Indebted #YoursTruly pic.twitter.com/TgmXVwaNLo
— Auden Tate (@lil_t8te) January 6, 2018
The junior, a signee in FSU’s 2015 recruiting class, has proven to be a viable red-zone threat and was a safety blanket of sorts for true freshman quarterback James Blackman early in his time as starter.
After playing solely on special teams as a freshman, Tate broke out in 2016, going for 409 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Tate did well to build on that in 2017. Playing through injuries to his shoulder and foot, Tate finished the regular season with a team high seven touchdown catches, including one in each of FSU’s first five games, to go along with his 464 receiving yards.
Tate is valued at the professional level due to his 6’5, 225-pound frame and his knack for being able to high point downfield throws. WalterFootball.com currently ranks Tate as the No. 4 wide receiver in the 2018 draft class and projects him as a 1st-3rd round pick.