Cornellius Carradine, Senior, Defensive End, Florida State
Overview:
Florida State boasted the two best defensive ends playing in tandem this season. Most people thought it would be Brandon Jenkins and Bjoern Werner. As soon as Jenkins went down with an injury, rotation player Carradine stepped up and totally dominated the ACC. He was first or second on the team in tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks. He was tied for 14th in the country in total sacks (13). He was a relentless edge rusher that really found his form. He got better as the season wore on. Two of his last three games he had double-digit tackles. He certainly caught a lot of people’s attention before he went down with an injury himself against Georgia Tech game for the ACC title.
Final Projection:
Carradine is still most likely not considered a first-rounder at this point, but he could turn out to be a great find after Day One. He is 6’5” and 265 lbs. He has ample size, and he has proven he has the ability to chase down runners. The question is his consistency (he really has only had one solid year in 2012). Also, his injury might be a problem. He tore his ACL, so he will have to prove he can still maneuver once it is repaired. He will probably miss the combine, putting more pressure on him to perform at his pro day. Should coaches believe he is fully healed, some team will probably take a chance on him in rounds four or five.
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