Four Former FSU Football Players Drafted Early in Latest ESPN NFL Mock Draft
With the 2024 NFL Combine having come and gone, players around the country saw their draft stock rise and fall with winners and losers on both sides of the ball. Florida State sent 12 former standouts to the combine with arguably the best performance coming from defensive tackle Braden Fiske who dominated his position group.
The 2024 NFL Draft is set to take place on April 25-27 and with such an impressive performance by the 'Noles, it is no surprise that multiple players are expected to be off the draft board after rounds one and two.
ESPN's NFL Draft Analyst Jordan Reid recently released his latest mock draft following the combine and defensive end Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, wide receiver Keon Coleman, and running back Trey Benson are all expected to be selected in the top 56.
Verse is currently Reid's highest selection and he has him heading to the Denver Broncos with the No. 12 overall selection.
"The Broncos have holes throughout the roster, and if the top four quarterbacks are already off the board, the next-best option has to be adding an edge rusher. Verse brings something different than what's currently on the Denver roster, too. At 6-4 and 254 pounds, he has a sturdy NFL-ready frame, and his heavy hands and pass-rush traits were evident down the stretch of last season, as he had 6.5 sacks over his final five games. Verse can consistently win with speed or power and even can intertwine both in his pass-rush moves."
Coleman fell out of the first round and is expected to end up in North Carolina at No. 26 following a trend of former Seminoles Jammie Robinson and Brian Burns. Although Coleman's 4.61 40-yard dash time wasn't the fastest, Reid believes that "he plays much faster than that" after catching 11 touchdowns last season.
"The Panthers have to improve Bryce Young's supporting cast, and landing Coleman to kick off Round 2 would give them a big-bodied pass-catcher outside. Coleman's 4.61-second run in the 40-yard dash was underwhelming, but he plays much faster than that and caught 11 touchdowns last season."
After undoubtedly cementing his early draft status at the combine, Fiske is projected to land in New York with the Giants at No. 47. After trading with the Seattle Seahawks for Leonard Williams to move up in the draft, the Fiske could pair well with defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II
"The Giants got this pick from Seattle in exchange for Leonard Williams at the trade deadline, and they could use it to get their replacement for him. Fiske was a huge combine winner after leading all defensive tackles in the 40 (4.78), vertical (33.5 inches), and broad jump (9-foot-9). He is a high-energy and disruptive interior defender who could create havoc as a complement to Dexter Lawrence II. I would not be surprised if Fiske is ultimately drafted much higher than this spot."
The last projected to go in rounds one and two is Benson who is coming off a 14-touchdown, 900-yard season, adding another 227 yards through the air with a score. Aligning with multiple other draft analysts' opinions, the 6'1'' 224-pound back will likely be headed to Dallas to replace Tony Pollard who is entering free agency at No. 56 with the Cowboys.
"This year's running back class feels a little like the 2014 group, when none were picked inside the top 50 but seven went inside the top 100. Tony Pollard is heading toward free agency, and Benson could be a great fit in Dallas. He not only ran for 904 yards and 14 scores last season but also caught 20 passes."
Tune into the 2024 NFL Draft on April 25, at 8:00 p.m. The broadcast is set to air on NFL Network, ABC, and ESPN.
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