The 2018 NFL Draft takes place Thursday-Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This page will be updated with Florida State’s draft selections, along with bios and notes for each Seminole picked, throughout the weekend.
- Derwin James is the 44th first-round draft pick in program history
- Florida State has had at least one draft pick in each of the last 35 drafts, a streak that began in 1984
- The Seminoles have produced 281 draft picks all-time
| Round | Overall | Name | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Derwin James | DB | Los Angeles Chargers |
| 3 | 75 | Derrick Nnadi | DT | Kansas City Chiefs |
Derwin James
James was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the 17th overall pick in the first round. James’ selection marks the 35th straight NFL Draft with at least one Seminole selected, a streak that began in 1984, and makes him the 31st defensive back drafted from Florida State in the last 30 years. He is the 44th first-round selection and the 280th overall pick from Florida State. He also is the 23rd first-round pick from Florida State since 2000, and his selection marks the 13th NFL Draft in that time span with at least one FSU player taken in the first round.
The Haines City, Florida, native appeared in 27 games and made 22 starts during his FSU career. He influenced every part of the game as he recorded a total of 186 tackles, including 15.0 for loss with 5.5 sacks, 16 pass breakups, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and one blocked field goal. Despite missing most of the 2016 season due to a season-ending injury in the second game of the year, James was recognized as one of the top defensive backs in the country and was a two-time All-ACC selection during his career. In 2017, he was named a first-team All-American by the FWAA and earned second-team All-America honors from Walter Camp, the Associated Press, Sporting News and the AFCA while being awarded first-team All-ACC acclaim.
Derrick Nnadi
Nnadi was drafted in the third round by the Kansas City Chiefs as the 75th overall selection and became the 13th FSU defensive lineman selected since 2008. He was a dominant four-year contributor who recorded 165 tackles, including 24.0 for loss with 11.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles while appearing in 48 games with 37 starts. He was a two-time All-ACC performer, earning first-team accolades in 2016 and third-team recognition in 2017, and was voted a team captain as a senior.
The Virginia Beach, Virginia, native started all 13 games in 2017 and ended his senior season with 53 tackles, including 10.0 for loss with 3.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. In the season’s first three games, against No. 1 Alabama, North Carolina State and Wake Forest, Nnadi recorded 19 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, and one forced fumble. He had a career-high-tying 2.5 tackles for loss against the Wolfpack and capped a perfect career against Florida with a season-best 1.5 sacks as part of a three-tackle performance in the win.
