If you followed Florida State during their chaotic 2024 season, you saw a lot of things go wrong. But one guy who never seemed to quit was Lawrance Toafili. Now that the dust has settled on the Lawrance Toafili NFL draft cycle, people are finally starting to realize what the New York Jets saw when they snatched him up as an undrafted free agent.
Honestly, the draft process is a meat grinder. You can be the MVP of a Power Five conference championship game one year and find yourself waiting for a phone call that doesn’t come the next. That’s exactly what happened to Toafili. After a 2023 season where he looked like a locked-in mid-round pick, the 2024 offensive collapse at FSU did him no favors. But scouts who actually watch the tape—not just the box scores—knew the talent was there.
The Reality of the Lawrance Toafili NFL Draft Slide
Why didn't he get drafted? It’s the question every Noles fan was asking.
Basically, it came down to a "perfect storm" of bad timing. Toafili stands about 6-feet tall and weighs in around 194 pounds. In the NFL, that’s a bit of a "tweener" size for a primary ball carrier. If you're that light, you usually need to run a sub-4.4 forty. Toafili clocked a 4.68 at his Pro Day.
That number scared off the speed-obsessed teams. But here’s the thing: Toafili’s game isn’t about straight-line track speed. It’s about that first-step burst and the way he catches the ball like a seasoned slot receiver. He’s one of only five players in Florida State history to have both a rushing and a receiving touchdown of over 70 yards. You don't do that without being explosive.
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Breaking Down the Collegiate Production
Let's look at what he actually did in Tallahassee. Over five seasons, he racked up:
- 1,895 rushing yards
- 15 rushing touchdowns
- 92 receptions for 905 yards
- 4 receiving touchdowns
He finished 18th in program history for rushing yards. That’s ahead of some very big names. His 2023 ACC Championship performance against Louisville was his masterpiece—118 yards and a touchdown that basically dragged FSU to a win when their quarterback situation was in shambles.
The 2024 season was tougher. He led the team with 456 yards, but the yards per carry dropped to 4.2. When your offensive line is struggling to get a push, even a guy with Toafili’s vision is going to have a hard time finding daylight. He became a "captain of a sinking ship" type of player, which NFL scouts actually respect even if the stats don't pop.
What the New York Jets Saw
The Jets didn't just sign him on a whim. They’d been tracking him since he participated in their rookie minicamp as a tryout player in May 2025. They eventually signed him in late July and stashed him on the practice squad.
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In the preseason, Toafili actually flashed quite a bit. He averaged over five yards per carry, including a 19-yard touchdown run against the Philadelphia Eagles that looked like vintage FSU Toafili. He showed he could stick his face in the fan during pass protection, which was always the biggest "if" on his scouting report.
The "Scat-Back" Narrative vs. Reality
People love to label guys like Toafili as "third-down backs" or "scat-backs." It’s kinda reductive. While he might not be a 25-carry-a-game bruiser, his versatility is exactly what modern NFL offenses want. Think of players like Jerick McKinnon or even a poor man's Alvin Kamara.
The Jets’ backfield is crowded with Breece Hall and Braelon Allen, but Toafili offers a different flavor. He’s a mismatch nightmare for linebackers in space. If you put him in the slot, he runs routes that are way too crisp for a typical RB.
Scouting Report: Strengths and Weaknesses
If we're being totally real, here is the breakdown of why he’s in the league and what might keep him on the bubble.
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The Good:
He has elite lateral agility. His jump cut is one of the best to come out of the ACC in recent years. He doesn't need much room to make a defender miss in the hole. Plus, his hands are natural. He doesn't "fight" the football; he plucks it out of the air and transitions to a runner instantly.
The Not-So-Good:
The 4.68 speed is a real concern for a change-of-pace back. If he can't outrun NFL safeties to the edge, his value drops. He also needs to continue adding "good" weight. At 194 pounds, he can get washed out in a crowded box.
Next Steps for Toafili’s Professional Journey
If you're a fan of Toafili or a fantasy football degenerate looking for a deep sleeper, keep an eye on the Jets' transaction wire. He's likely to spend significant time on the practice squad developing that NFL-level play strength.
To stay in the league, he needs to:
- Excel on Special Teams: For an undrafted guy, this is the only way to get active on Sundays. He needs to be a core four special teamer.
- Master the Playbook: Playing in the Jets' system requires knowing exactly where to be in pass pro to protect the franchise QB.
- Maintain that Burst: He needs to prove that his "football speed" is faster than his "stopwatch speed."
He’s already beaten the odds by making it onto a roster after the Lawrance Toafili NFL draft cycle ended without his name being called. Now, it's just about proving that the ACC Championship MVP wasn't a fluke, but a preview of what he can do at the highest level.
Stay tuned to local New York beat writers like Zack Rosenblatt or Brian Costello for updates on his status throughout the 2026 season. If a team needs a versatile, high-character weapon, Toafili is going to be the first name they call up from the practice squad.