3 things to know about Devonta Freeman, FSU’s best ground threat
Freeman leads a deep stable of Florida State running backs.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Devonta Freeman didn't carry the ball a ton for Florida State in 2013 ... mainly because he didn't need to. The Seminoles have other talented backs in Karlos Williams, who averaged 8.2 yards per carry during the regular season, and James Wilder Jr., who averaged nearly seven. And the Seminoles were often so far ahead late in games, they didn't need their regulars to play a full four quarters.
But Freeman has been an important part of FSU’s offense all year, even if he did end up averaging just 12.5 carries per game.
His 2013 highlights (might want to mute this):
2. He might become FSU’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Warrick Dunn.
Strange as this might seem, Florida State hasn’t had a lot of 1,000-yard rushers in its decorated history, and none since Warrick Dunn ran for 1,180 yards in 1996. Dunn accounts for three of the seven 1,000-yard seasons in school history.
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Freeman would already be there had FSU needed 15 or 20 carries out of him every week, but he’s close anyway. With 57 yards against the Tigers, he’ll hit 1,000, making him just the fifth Florida State player to reach that mark.
3. He could prove to be a good value pick for somebody at the next level.
If he were to enter the 2014 NFL Draft -- he has another year at FSU if he wants it -- he might not figure into the first couple of rounds. SB Nation's draft experts don't have Freeman among their top 100 players, and they consider him the No. 16 running back in the 2014 draft class.
Our Seminoles blog, Tomahawk Nation, assessed his overall skills and came away feeling like there is a solid chance he’ll end up outperforming his draft position if he lands in the middle rounds:
The final grade I have for Devonta Freeman is a 7.7. So right around the middle of the 2nd round. This doesn’t mean he’ll go there. Like I said the NFL values these explosive players earlier on in the draft. This just means any team who selects Freeman later in the draft is getting great value for a back who can offer a lot to a team.
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