Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Tate, McFadden hoping NFL teams see potential
TALLAHASSEE — Florida State cornerback Tarvarus McFadden hopes NFL teams view him as a hungry defender eager to improve on junior year miscues after a stellar sophomore season.
Receiver Auden Tate hopes pro scouts and executives can value him for being a red-zone target like he was for the Seminoles, despite playing only two seasons of college football.
After this weekend’s NFL draft, both players hope a NFL team — possibly the same one — will give them a chance to develop into capable playmakers at the next level.
“I’m a long, rangy outside corner, press man. I’m liable to lock down the No. 1 receiver on any team,” McFadden said after FSU’s pro day last month. “I’m very confident in myself, and what people say outside of this has no effect to me.”
Tate also expressed the same sentiment, saying “No matter what happens good or bad, you only have yourself so I’m very confident in myself.”
Both players, who opted to forgo their senior seasons, are projected to be picked on Saturday, the third day of the draft as early as the fourth round.
They did not have had ideal outings at the NFL combine.
But they were relieved to ease some of their personal angst after performing football drills in front of NFL personnel during pro day on March 20.
The workouts helped McFadden and Tate earn pre-draft visits with the 49ers, while McFadden also had a visit with the Cowboys — encouraging signs with NFL teams allotted only 30 pre-draft visits with potential prospects before the draft.
Tate chose to capitalize on a standout junior season, which saw him catch 10 of his 40 catches for touchdowns despite dealing with a separated shoulder and left leg injury.
Tate finished his FSU career with 65 catches for 957 yards with 16 touchdowns in two seasons of steady play, including four touchdowns against Southern Miss in the Independence Bowl.
“It got me a little more buzz,” Tate said of the bowlgame outing. “… That’s probably the healthiest I’ve been since before Alabama and NC State.”
NFL teams may savor Tate’s measurables (he’s 6-4, 230 pounds) and the fact nearly 25 percent of his catches in college were touchdowns. But they may also be skeptical about his relative inexperience and lack of quickness (40-yard dash time of 4.68 seconds).
McFadden set the stage for a highly anticipated junior year after leading the nation with eight interceptions in 2016, which magnified his miscues.
McFadden was out of position on a back-shoulder fade to Miami receiver Darrell Langham, who scored a game-winning touchdown to help the Hurricanes end a 7-game losing streak to the Seminoles. He was also out of position as a punt returner on special teams for much of the season.
While McFadden may not have had the same amount of opportunities as a defender as a junior, he was still able to finish with 10 pass deflections and 30 tackles despite no interceptions.