This won't be a banner year for Florida State football in the NFL Draft.
Not by a long shot.
With only a few days remaining before the Draft kicks off on Thursday evening, the "Draft Tracker" app on NFL.com lists only two Seminoles in its database -- tailback Cam Akers and cornerback Stanford Samuels III. And Samuels likely won't be selected until the sixth or seventh round.
There are a wide variety of projections for Akers, but most draft analysts have him going anywhere from the middle of the second round to early in the third.
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If he goes in that range, it will mark the first time in three years that the Seminoles see an offensive skill player selected in the first two days of the draft. It would only be the second time in five years.
Dalvin Cook went in the second round in 2017, and Jameis Winton was selected No. 1 overall in 2015.
In anticipation of this week's draft, here's a closer look at Akers' prospects and what NFL analysts are saying about him.
Florida State career
Despite running behind a sub-par offensive line throughout his Florida State career, Akers ran for more than 1,000 yards in two of his three seasons in Tallahassee. He joins Dalvin Cook and Warrick Dunn as the only Seminole running backs to reach that mark in multiple seasons.
While only playing in 11 games in 2019, Akers rushed for 1,144 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry. He also was the Seminoles' third-leading receiver with 30 receptions for 225 yards and four touchdowns.
Akers' next best season was his freshman campaign, when he ran for 1,024 yards with seven touchdowns; the former five-star recruit averaged 5.3 yards per carry.
As a sophomore, Akers endured his worst season, averaging 4.4 yards per rush and finishing with 706 yards and six scores. He was plagued by a sprained ankle -- and the aforementioned poor offensive line -- during that season.
