Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Multiple Bulldogs Selected in 2024 NFL Draft
April 27, 2024 | Football
STARKVILLE — For the 15th consecutive year, the Mississippi State Bulldogs have had a player selected in the NFL Draft. Decamerion Richardson, Jaden Crumedy, and Nathaniel Watson heard their names called in the 2024 NFL Draft. State's three selections in the 2024 NFL Draft are the most for the Bulldogs in a single draft since 2020, when five State players were drafted.
Richardson, a Mississippi State graduate from Cullen, La., was the first Bulldog taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is a 6-2 cornerback who ran a 4.34 40-yard dash, third fastest 40 time by a corner at the NFL Combine. He becomes the third Bulldog ever selected by the Las Vegas/Oakland Raiders, joining Johnathan Abram (2019) and Gabe Jackson (2014). During his Bulldog career, Richardson appeared in 45 career games with 26 starts. He recorded 177 career tackles, with 106 being solo tackles. He also added 10 pass breakups and a sack to his totals. In each of the last two seasons, Richardson led all SEC corners in total tackles, with 85 in 2022 and 79 in 2023. He also led all SEC corners, ranking third nationally, with a top tackle grade of 90.3 according to Pro Football Focus.
Crumedy, a Mississippi State graduate from Hattiesburg, Miss., became the second Bulldog drafted in 2024 when the Carolina Panthers selected him in the sixth round. He became just the second Bulldog drafted by Carolina, joining Alvin McKinley Jr., who was selected in 2000. Crumedy had an impressive career in Starkville, playing in 53 career games while making 47 starts, including 39 consecutive starts in games he played. He concluded his career with 119 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, five pass deflections, one fumble recovery and one blocked field goal. In 2023, he set a new career-high in tackles with 35.
Watson, the 2023 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, became the eighth Bulldog drafted by Cleveland and the first since 2022 when the Browns selected Martin Emerson. Watson had a memorable career wearing the Maroon & White and posted one of the best seasons in SEC history in 2023. This past season, Watson became the first player in SEC history to lead the conference in both tackles (137) and sacks (10). His dominant season earned him the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award, becoming the first Bulldog to earn the honor. He was a finalist for the Butkus Award (the nation's best linebacker) and was named to four All-America teams. In his career, Watson played in 57 games with 39 starts. He recorded 379 tackles, 21 sacks, two interceptions and three forced fumbles.Â
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Richardson, a Mississippi State graduate from Cullen, La., was the first Bulldog taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is a 6-2 cornerback who ran a 4.34 40-yard dash, third fastest 40 time by a corner at the NFL Combine. He becomes the third Bulldog ever selected by the Las Vegas/Oakland Raiders, joining Johnathan Abram (2019) and Gabe Jackson (2014). During his Bulldog career, Richardson appeared in 45 career games with 26 starts. He recorded 177 career tackles, with 106 being solo tackles. He also added 10 pass breakups and a sack to his totals. In each of the last two seasons, Richardson led all SEC corners in total tackles, with 85 in 2022 and 79 in 2023. He also led all SEC corners, ranking third nationally, with a top tackle grade of 90.3 according to Pro Football Focus.
Crumedy, a Mississippi State graduate from Hattiesburg, Miss., became the second Bulldog drafted in 2024 when the Carolina Panthers selected him in the sixth round. He became just the second Bulldog drafted by Carolina, joining Alvin McKinley Jr., who was selected in 2000. Crumedy had an impressive career in Starkville, playing in 53 career games while making 47 starts, including 39 consecutive starts in games he played. He concluded his career with 119 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, five pass deflections, one fumble recovery and one blocked field goal. In 2023, he set a new career-high in tackles with 35.
Watson, the 2023 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, became the eighth Bulldog drafted by Cleveland and the first since 2022 when the Browns selected Martin Emerson. Watson had a memorable career wearing the Maroon & White and posted one of the best seasons in SEC history in 2023. This past season, Watson became the first player in SEC history to lead the conference in both tackles (137) and sacks (10). His dominant season earned him the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award, becoming the first Bulldog to earn the honor. He was a finalist for the Butkus Award (the nation's best linebacker) and was named to four All-America teams. In his career, Watson played in 57 games with 39 starts. He recorded 379 tackles, 21 sacks, two interceptions and three forced fumbles.Â
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| 2024 NFL Draft | |||
| Decamerion Richardson | Las Vegas Raiders | Round 4 | Pick 112 |
| Jaden Crumedy | Carolina Panthers | Round 6 | Pick 200 |
| Nathaniel Watson | Cleveland Browns | Round 6 | Pick 206 |
| Free Agent Signings | |||
| Marcus Banks | Tampa Bay Bucs | ||
| Lideatrick Griffin | Las Vegas Raiders | ||
| Shawn Preston Jr. | New Orleans Saints | ||
| Jett Johnson | New York Jets |
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