Florida State tied a school-record with 11 players taken over the 3-day 2015 NFL Draft. The 11 selections equaled the record total set just two years ago. FSU also broke a record previously held by Miami from 2002-04 for picks over a 3-year span with 29.
After Jameis Winston went first overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cameron Erving went 19th to the Cleveland Browns in the first round, four Seminoles went on the second day of the draft. Defensive linemen Mario Edwards Jr. and Eddie Goldman went 35th and 39th to the Oakland Raiders and Chicago Bears respectively in the second round.
Cornerbacks Ronald Darby and P.J. Williams rounded out the second day for Florida State. Darby went 50th overall in the second round to the Buffalo Bills and Williams went in the third round, 78th overall, to the New Orleans Saints. On Saturday, the final day of the draft, five former Florida State players were selected over the final four rounds.
The lone Seminole to go in the fourth round was guard Tre’ Jackson, who went 111th overall to the New England Patriots. A two-time first team All-ACC performer and a consensus All-American as a senior in 2014, Jackson hopes to compete for a starting spot next to his former FSU teammate in center Bryan Stork. Jackson started 42 games for Florida State, missing just one start over his final three seasons in Tallahassee.
Florida State’s all-time leading receiver Rashad Greene went three picks into the fifth round to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 139. Greene was first team All-ACC as a junior in 2013 and again as a senior in 2014. Greene is the only Seminole ever to lead the team in receiving in four straight seasons. In 2013, Greene became Florida State’s first 1,000-yard receiver since Anquan Boldin in 2002.
The selection of Greene marks the second straight season a Florida State player went to Jacksonville in the fifth round. Linebacker and Greene’s former teammate Telvin Smith was selected by Jacksonville last season in the same round. Greene finished his FSU career with 270 catches for over 3,800 yards receiving and 33 total touchdowns.
Running back Karlos Williams and tight end Nick O’Leary each joined Ronald Darby as Florida State players to be selected by the Buffalo Bills. Over the last four years, the Bills have now taken seven Seminoles. Williams went in the fifth round at No. 155 overall while O’Leary was taken 194th overall in the sixth round.
A converted safety, Williams has a nice mix of size and speed. In two years as a running back, Williams scored 22 rushing touchdowns and caught another. A consensus All-American as a senior, O’Leary became the first FSU player ever to win the John Mackey Award. Over his four years as a Seminole, O’Leary amassed nearly 1,600 yards receiving and 18 total touchdowns — shattering the previous school-record for career touchdowns by a tight end.
The final FSU player taken during the 2015 draft was tackle Bobby Hart, who went in the seventh round to the New York Giants. Hart improved over his the final two years of his Florida State career, earning third team All-ACC honors as a senior in 2014. He went 226th overall and will likely move to guard at the NFL level.
Guard Josue Matias was expected to be selected during the draft, but was not. He would have been the school-record 12th player taken during one draft.
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