Florida State football did not have a draft pick coming into Saturday, and it didn't surprise many as the Seminoles finished with a 5-7 record, where they lost seven of their last nine games. Head coach Mike Norvell is in a prove-it year in 2026 with calling plays.
Florida State looked phenomenal against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the opener, where they won by a score of 31-17. Fans thought that they could be championship contenders and some players were considered to be draft picks.
However, that idea fell out the window as the losses continued to mount up. Even with the horrific 2025 season, defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. was able to be drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Darrell Jackson Jr is heading to the J-E-T-S ✈️‼️#A1Family | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/4da7qEeJx6
— Athletes First (@AthletesFirst) April 25, 2026
You won't mistake Jackson Jr. for someone else if you saw him in person. His frame of 6'5" and 337 pounds stands out as a defensive lineman.
The former Maryland and Miami transfer came to Florida State via the transfer portal to help his ailing family member. The defensive tackle was unable to get a waiver from the NCAA to play the following season and had to sit out the entire year.
It was disappointing, but Jackson Jr. had his moments at Florida State, but it could have been much better given his size. The Florida native performed well in the various drills, and his size was on display.
The New York Jets decided to take a chance on him, and I know that Jackson Jr. doesn't care where he was selected as long as he had his dream of making it to the NFL. However, the Jets are awful and have arguably one of the worst franchises in the NFL, where they finished with a 3-14 record in 2025, and their defense had zero interceptions in the season.
Unfortunately, he won't be paired with former defensive lineman Jermaine Johnson II because they traded him to the Tennessee Titans. However, he will get to play on defense with up-and-coming secondary piece Azareye'h Thomas. The cool part is that the New York Jets have drafted Florida State players in five of the last six drafts.
This makes me wish that quarterback Jordan Travis had never gotten hurt in 2023, so that the Jets could have benefited from his services. Nonetheless, I am super excited for Jackson Jr. and his opportunity in the league.
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