Asante Samuel Jr. & Hamsah Nasirildeen earn starting jobs as NFL rookies

FSU football had four players drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft. Two of those players, Asante Samuel Jr. and Hamsah Nasirildeen, earned starting jobs.

Asante Samuel Jr. was the first Noles selected when the Los Angeles Chargers took him with the No. 47 pick in the second round. Hamsah Nasirildeen was the final Nole selected, when the New York Jets took him with the No. 186 pick in the sixth round.

Both players were multi-year starters at FSU and former blue-chip recruits. Samuel Jr. was the No. 60 player nationally in the 2018 recruiting class, and Nasirildeen was the No. 109 player nationally in the 2017 class. Asante Samuel Jr. is the last blue-chip cornerback to live up to his high school ranking since Jalen Ramsey.

Nasirildeen played up to his ranking until an injury against Florida at the end of the 2019 season forced him to miss the majority of the 2020 season.

If not for that injury, Nasirildeen would have likely been a much higher NFL Draft pick. Nasirildeen played safety at FSU but moved to linebacker with the Jets.

The move made a ton of sense, with Nasirildeen leading FSU in tackles in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He came to FSU with a reputation for physicality, which was displayed when he wore the garnet and gold.

Asante Samuel Jr. was nothing short of consistency during his time at FSU as the field cornerback. Samuel Jr. joins former Nole standout Derwin James in the Los Angles secondary, and Nasirildeen joins former Noles standout Lamarcus Joyner with the Jets.

Nasirildeen secured the starting spot with his productivity in the NFL preseason. He had three tackles in all three preseason games and one tackle for a loss. Asante Samuel Jr. had four tackles, one pass defended, and an interception in the preseason.

The Chargers will begin their season Sunday on the road against the Washington Football team at 1 p.m. The Jets will begin their season on the road against the Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m. Ironically, the game will be in Charlotte, NC, which is where Hamsah Nasirildeen grew up.