Eight Bulldogs will appear in the 2017 NFL playoffs, including seven starters.
#FromStateToSundays To The Playoffs: Eight Bulldogs Set For NFL Postseason
January 05, 2017 | Football
STARKVILLE, Miss. – It's been perhaps the most productive NFL season ever for former Mississippi State football players as eight Bulldogs have reached the 2017 NFL playoffs, which get underway Saturday.
Over 57 percent of the MSU players on active NFL rosters earned a spot in the playoffs, including seven starters. Of the seven starters, five were considered three-star prospects or less coming out of high school who then went on to go "From State to Sundays." Four of those five earned either All-America or All-Southeastern Conference honors during their careers in Starkville.
Six of the eight Bulldogs in the playoffs will take the field in wild card action this weekend. Linebacker Benardrick McKinney's Houston Texans face the Oakland Raiders at 3:35 p.m. CT Saturday live on ESPN. The Raiders boast two former MSU standouts in starting offensive guard Gabe Jackson and defensive end Denico Autry.
In just his second NFL season, McKinney ranked 11th in the league in tackles with 129, including five sacks. Jackson continues to shine as one of the most talented young linemen in the league. Autry started seven of 16 games, collecting 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks in his third professional season.
Two more former Bulldogs square off at 7:15 p.m. CT Saturday on NBC when K.J. Wright's Seattle Seahawks host Darius Slay's Detroit Lions. Wright produced the best regular season of his career, setting career highs in tackles (126), tackles for loss (12) and sacks (four). MSU was one of only two schools nationally (Penn State) to have two of the top 13 overall tackle leaders in the league this season as Wright was 13th overall.
Slay, who was selected as an alternate for the Pro Bowl, was a game-changing corner in 2016. He forced three turnovers and collected 44 tackles.
Linebacker Deontae Skinner's New York Giants travel to Green Bay for a 3:40 p.m. CT kickoff Sunday on FOX.
Two of the top rookies in the NFL will have the weekend off as their squads clinched division titles. NFL MVP and Rookie of the Year candidate Dak Prescott led the Dallas Cowboys to a 13-3 record. Prescott set NFL rookie quarterback records for wins (13), passer rating (104.9), touchdown-to-interception ratio (23/4) and completion percentage (67.8).
Defensive tackle Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs proved to be one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in the league in his rookie season. According to Pro Football Focus, his 9.4 pass-rushing productivity mark was fifth-best among starters on the interior. The Chiefs won the AFC West with a 12-4 record.
Prescott and Jones were ranked Nos. 2 and 7, respectively, on Pro Football Focus' Top 10 rookies. MSU was one of only two schools nationally (Ohio State) to have multiple players ranked in the top seven.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the MSU football team on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateFB." All-access coverage is also available on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
Mississippi State Bulldogs in the 2017 NFL Playoffs
Player, Position, Team (Years at MSU)
Denico Autry, DE, Oakland Raiders (2012-13) ^
Gabe Jackson, OG, Oakland Raiders (2009-13) ^
Chris Jones, DT, Kansas City Chiefs (2013-15) ^ *
Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys (2011-15) ^ *
Benardrick McKinney, LB, Houston Texans (2011-14) ^
Deontae Skinner, LB, New York Giants (2009-12)
Darius Slay, CB, Detroit Lions (2011-12) ^
K.J. Wright, LB, Seattle Seahawks (2007-10) ^
^ - denotes starter
* - denotes team earned wild card weekend bye
Over 57 percent of the MSU players on active NFL rosters earned a spot in the playoffs, including seven starters. Of the seven starters, five were considered three-star prospects or less coming out of high school who then went on to go "From State to Sundays." Four of those five earned either All-America or All-Southeastern Conference honors during their careers in Starkville.
Six of the eight Bulldogs in the playoffs will take the field in wild card action this weekend. Linebacker Benardrick McKinney's Houston Texans face the Oakland Raiders at 3:35 p.m. CT Saturday live on ESPN. The Raiders boast two former MSU standouts in starting offensive guard Gabe Jackson and defensive end Denico Autry.
In just his second NFL season, McKinney ranked 11th in the league in tackles with 129, including five sacks. Jackson continues to shine as one of the most talented young linemen in the league. Autry started seven of 16 games, collecting 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks in his third professional season.
Two more former Bulldogs square off at 7:15 p.m. CT Saturday on NBC when K.J. Wright's Seattle Seahawks host Darius Slay's Detroit Lions. Wright produced the best regular season of his career, setting career highs in tackles (126), tackles for loss (12) and sacks (four). MSU was one of only two schools nationally (Penn State) to have two of the top 13 overall tackle leaders in the league this season as Wright was 13th overall.
Slay, who was selected as an alternate for the Pro Bowl, was a game-changing corner in 2016. He forced three turnovers and collected 44 tackles.
Linebacker Deontae Skinner's New York Giants travel to Green Bay for a 3:40 p.m. CT kickoff Sunday on FOX.
Two of the top rookies in the NFL will have the weekend off as their squads clinched division titles. NFL MVP and Rookie of the Year candidate Dak Prescott led the Dallas Cowboys to a 13-3 record. Prescott set NFL rookie quarterback records for wins (13), passer rating (104.9), touchdown-to-interception ratio (23/4) and completion percentage (67.8).
Defensive tackle Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs proved to be one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in the league in his rookie season. According to Pro Football Focus, his 9.4 pass-rushing productivity mark was fifth-best among starters on the interior. The Chiefs won the AFC West with a 12-4 record.
Prescott and Jones were ranked Nos. 2 and 7, respectively, on Pro Football Focus' Top 10 rookies. MSU was one of only two schools nationally (Ohio State) to have multiple players ranked in the top seven.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the MSU football team on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateFB." All-access coverage is also available on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
Mississippi State Bulldogs in the 2017 NFL Playoffs
Player, Position, Team (Years at MSU)
Denico Autry, DE, Oakland Raiders (2012-13) ^
Gabe Jackson, OG, Oakland Raiders (2009-13) ^
Chris Jones, DT, Kansas City Chiefs (2013-15) ^ *
Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys (2011-15) ^ *
Benardrick McKinney, LB, Houston Texans (2011-14) ^
Deontae Skinner, LB, New York Giants (2009-12)
Darius Slay, CB, Detroit Lions (2011-12) ^
K.J. Wright, LB, Seattle Seahawks (2007-10) ^
^ - denotes starter
* - denotes team earned wild card weekend bye
Thursday, April 16
Saturday, April 11
Saturday, April 11
Saturday, April 11