Packers Host Athletic Florida State Safety for Predraft Visit

Akeem Dent, who had one interception in five seasons at Florida State, ran his 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds.

Florida State safety Akeem Dent / Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun / USA

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Safety Akeem Dent, who started 40 games over five seasons at Florida State, is having a predraft visit with the Green Bay Packers, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Who Is Akeem Dent?

Dent was a five-star prospect, an Under Armour All-American and the fourth-ranked Florida coming out of high school, according to Rivals. He made an immediate impact. He started five games as a true freshman in 2019 and five more in 2020 before essentially becoming a full-time starter his last three seasons.

In 2023, he started 10 of his 11 appearances and finished the season with 44 tackles, including a half-sack and 2.5 stops for losses, two forced fumbles and one pass defensed to earn an honorable mention on the all-ACC team.

Dent intercepted one pass in five seasons, though it was a noteworthy one. He saved a 26-23 victory over Jeff Hafley’s Boston College squad with a last-play interception.

For his career, the coverage numbers were strong (54.8 percent completion rate, according to Pro Football Focus) but he struggled as a tackler (17.2 percent missed-tackle rate for his career, including 14.0 percent in 2023).

He had a key role in a 24-15 victory over rival Florida in 2023.

“I thought Akeem Dent played his best football game since he has been at Florida State,” Seminoles coach Mike Norvell said. “I mean, he was absolutely remarkable. Some of the tackles that he made in the open field versus really talented backs was impressive. I thought he played with confidence.”

Despite all the experience, he was not invited to the Scouting Combine. That made pro day a big deal. He responded with a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash. His other testing numbers weren’t quite as electric, and he finished with a Relative Athletic Score of 8.67.

“Everybody’s got their own road they’ve got to take,” he said before pro day. “It’s challenging but I’ve had bigger fish to deal with. It’s a big deal; playing at Florida State’s a big deal, too. …

“On the field talks for itself. What we did last season, what I did over the course of my career at Florida State, I feel like I deserve a shot. I feel like I’ll have a shot. I’m ready for it. The 40 will solidify everything for everybody. I’m going to put on a show for that.”

How Would Akeem Dent Fit With Packers?

Dent played a versatile role for the Seminoles. This past season, he played 204 snaps at free safety, 175 snaps in the box and 49 snaps in the slot.

“Once you tell him what to do, he's very good at doing it,” defensive coordinator Adam Fuller said in 2022. “I think he's getting the reps (and) those things are filling up for him and he stockpiling those reps at that spot and I think it's making a difference for him. Because I do think, at his best, he's a multi-tool player — he can tackle, he can cover, he can make plays on the ball. He can blitz, I think he can do a lot of things.

“It's just about making sure that he's confident in everything we’re telling him to do. And that comes with reps, it comes with clean, concise coaching, too, to make sure that it makes sense to him.”

As a five-star recruit, Dent didn’t expect to be a five-year player. But he saw the upside of being developed for the “big leagues.”

“Throughout the five years, I feel like I’ve figured out a lot of crinks in my armor and I’ve had time to fix them.”

Akeem Dent’s Round Projection

Sometimes, predraft visits are about getting to know a potential first-round pick. Other times, they serve as undrafted free agent recruiting. That’s likely the case for Dent; he is not expected to be drafted. His combination of size and speed should give him a chance to make it on special teams.

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