Nov 4, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Florida State Seminoles helmet on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

ESPN lists two FSU football players as valuable 2025 NFL Draft picks

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Jackson Bakich | Last updated Apr 30, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The 2025 NFL Draft brought a lot of surprises for almost everyone. For instance, the Jaguars traded up to take Travis Hunter with the second pick, and Shedeur Sanders slipped to the fifth round.

As for Florida State, it was a bit of a shock to see none of their draft-eligible players selected in the first two rounds, despite a multitude of mock drafts predicting one or two former 'Noles coming off the boards within the first 64 picks.

However, according to ESPN's Field Yates, both Florida State picks were considered incredibly valuable compared to their positioning in the 2025 Draft.

Yates blamed Azareye'h Thomas' lack of speed for the hesitancy from NFL GMs to select him in the first or second round, but believes the young, former FSU star was "too good to pass up" this year. Thomas was drafted by the New York Jets with the 73rd pick.

"Thomas lasted until this pick because of his lack of elite speed. Scouts at Florida State's pro day clocked him between 4.57 and 4.59 in the 40-yard dash, which is below average for a starting cornerback in the NFL. But Thomas does more than enough to make up for that speed. He has excellent size, ball skills and physicality to get up in the face of wideouts. Like many of the picks highlighted here, the value was too great to pass up on a talented player."Field Yates, ESPN

As for Joshua Farmer, Yates thinks Farmer joining the New England Patriots with the 137th pick will be a great fit, considering how head coach Mike Vrabel utilized his defensive line rotations with the Titans.

"Farmer showed up only in flashes during his final season at Florida State, but those plays were strong enough to land him a third-round grade on my final board. He has strong, explosive rush skills; he just needs to be a more consistent player. Mike Vrabel leaned on a defensive line rotation in Tennessee and has shown an ability to maximize talent with his roster, so this is a good spot for Farmer to provide interior depth."Field Yates, ESPN

While the newly cemented pro Seminoles didn't go as high as they'd hoped, there are still high expectations for Thomas and Farmer heading into their rookie seasons