Insider notes on Florida State and Georgia Tech: Draft grades for top prospects ft. Duce Robinson, Haynes King, & more

Florida State and Georgia Tech are two programs headed in opposite directions. One year removed from being snubbed by the College Football Playoff, Florida State suffered through a miserable two-win season and barely impacted the draft with just two players selected. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech pulled several upsets last season before losing a heartbreaker to rival Georgia in the finale of the regular season. Neither program will have a major impact on the 2026 NFL Draft.

Florida State

Like the past two drafts, a defensive lineman sits near the top of the Florida State list of NFL prospects. Yet unlike the prior two linemen selected from the program, Darrell Jackson Jr. is more of a gap-occupying tackle than a playmaker. Jackson is big, powerful and easily holds the point against single or double-team blocks. He does the dirty work on the inside and comes with an upside which, if met, could push him into the draft’s second day.

Micah Pettus is a massive offensive lineman and someone I was high on early in his career at Mississippi. He’s powerful, blocks with solid fundamentals and moves well for a big blocker. Yet his game was in a tailspin at times last season, and Pettus must pull it together in 2025.

Florida State Prospects
Grade	Rnd	Pos	Full Name	Yr	#
3.47	5th	DT	Darrell Jackson Jr.	5Sr	6
3.38	6th	T	Micah Pettus	5Sr	57
3.32	6th	WR	Duce Robinson	3Jr	0
3.29	7th	WR	Squirrel White	4Sr	4
3.28	7th	S	Shyheim Brown	5Sr	1
3.27	7-FA	RB	Roydell Williams	5Sr	24
3.16	FA	WR	Malik Benson	4Sr	10

Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets’ top NFL prospects left via the transfer portal, yet the program offers several talented Day 3 prospects for the next level. Malik Rutherford is a surehanded wideout with the speed necessary to stretch the field vertically and outrun defenders. He has a solid game, yet Rutherford is small and may struggle to measure 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds in predraft testing. At the very least, he’s a legitimate fifth receiver prospect who could line up in the slot and see duty as a return specialist.

Ahmari Harvey is a developing corner with next-level size and toughness, yet he has an unpolished game. He’s much better facing the action, and he must learn to make plays with his back to the ball.

Jamal Haynes is a short, undersized running back who is terrific in every aspect of the position. He’s a creative ball carrier who also runs hard on the inside. Haynes is a good receiver out of the backfield and should succeed as a third-down back on Sundays.

Keylan Rutledge is a strong, small-area blocker who would perfectly fit a power gap scheme. While I like his playing style, he may not tip the scales more than 310 pounds, which is not optimal for that type of blocking system.

Georgia Tech Prospects
Grade	Rnd	Pos	Full Name	Yr	#
3.37	6th	WR	Malik Rutherford	5Sr	8
3.34	6th	CB	Ahmari Harvey	5Sr	3
3.31	6th	RB	Jamal Haynes	5Sr	1
3.29	7th	G	Keylan Rutledge	4Sr	77
3.21	FA	WR	Eric Rivers	5Sr	3
3.18	FA	DT	Jordan van den Berg	5Sr	99
3.18	FA	QB	Haynes King	5Sr	10
2.98	FA	CB	Jyron Gilmore	6Sr	5