After Florida State finished 12-2 and watched 11 former players get selected in the 2013 NFL Draft last April — more than any other college that night — many wondered how the ‘Noles would replace so many talented players and whether a rebuilding year was inevitable.
Fortunately for Seminole Nation, the ‘Noles reloaded. Jimbo Fisher’s first recruiting class as head coach, inked in February of 2010, stepped up to the challenge with spectacular results: Seven of the players signed that year became key starters for the 2013 undefeated BCS National Champions, with six of them entering the NFL Draft. In all, FSU has 13 newly-former players and in Part 1 of our three-part series, we’ll try to predict which ones will be drafted and when, and which ones will be probably be going pro in something other than sports:
KELVIN BENJAMIN – A 23-year-old redshirt sophomore signed in the #1 ranked recruiting class of 2011, Benjamin was extremely raw coming out of high school, not much more than an unskilled but athletic kid with mammoth potential. During his three years in Tallahassee, Benjamin put in the work that led to him being arguably the best receiver in college football during the final two months of the 2013 season which Benjamin culminated with the “Crystal Catch” that won the 2014 BCS National Championship. The sky is the future for him, and as such Benjamin will probably hear his name called on Thursday night. At 6’5″ and 240 pounds with a monstrous 83″ wingspan, KB possesses TE size with a pterodactyl-ish catch radius and good but not elite speed. His acceleration is what’s lacking, but when he gets going, his long strides eat up hashes in a blur, sometimes getting behind defensive backs with deceptive ease. He has elite body control, freakish for his size even, and has the size and strength to physically beat smaller cornerbacks (they are all smaller than him). His technical skill-set is at times inconsistent: he will make the spectacular catch and then drop several easy passes. He high-points the ball well and will go up and get it but has a tendency to jump early. His route tree could use some work but will go over the middle and make tough catches. He will deliver a crushing crack-back block only to whiff or give up on a block early a couple plays later. It’s clear this is a player who is still learning the position and should only get better.
NFL comparison – A slower Calvin Johnson
Draft Prediction – 1st Round Pick 28 – Carolina Panthers
TIMMY JERNIGAN – A true junior also signed in the star-studded top-ranked class of 2011, Jernigan is a beast. The scouting report on Jernigan could have ended there and it would have successfully covered him, but talking about Timmy is too much fun. Jernigan spurned the Florida Gators late in the recruiting process and switched to Florida State, and it couldn’t have worked out better for both parties. “Country strong” as he’s described in draft circles, if Jernigan gets his hands on you, you’re usually done for. He racked up nine tackles in the BCS National Championship against Auburn while fighting off an illness. His limitations are purely physical: he is slow off the snap, has less than ideal height and more importantly, length. Big blockers with longer reaches can give him difficulty, but he is truly disruptive with active hands, possessing several pass-rushing moves. He will manhandle weaker opponents with abandon, clogging the middle like a raging bull in a china shop chained to an anchor, and is a decent athlete for his size. Some project him as a three-technique in a 4-3 alignment and some believe he is limited to being a two-gap 3-4 nose tackle. Jernigan however, is likely most disruptive in the in 4-3. The question on Jernigan is whether he can increase his burst and explosion. As it stands, he is an excellent run-stopper.
NFL comparison – Tough, but the closest comparison is likely to Tommie Harris or Henry Melton.
Draft Prediction – Jernigan is much harder to predict. He could go anywhere from picks 20-40. There’s a very good chance that he could end up just behind his former teammate, Benjamin. The prediction: 1st Round Pick 29 – New England Patriots
