From State to Sundays: Former Bulldogs Ready for 2015 NFL Draft
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- After leaving a legacy that included the program’s first No. 1 national ranking, several former Mississippi State players will begin a new chapter in their lives as the 2015 NFL Draft begins Thursday night at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.
ESPN and the NFL Network will televise the three-day event. It’s also available online through WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. The first round begins at 7 p.m. CT Thursday, while rounds two and three get underway at 6 p.m. CT Friday. Rounds four through seven will be televised beginning at 11 a.m. CT Saturday.
Headlining the list of MSU players on the board are defensive end Preston Smith and linebacker Benardrick McKinney. Smith’s stock as a pass rusher has skyrocketed since his NFL Combine and MSU Pro Day. Projections put the former All-Southeastern Conference star as a late first rounder to early second round pick.
Smith will watch the draft from his native state of Georgia. The Stone Mountain, Ga., native started all 13 games last season, ranking sixth in the SEC in sacks (nine) and fifth in tackles for loss (15). Smith gathered 134 tackles and forced seven turnovers during his career, including five forced fumbles. He is the only player in SEC history to be named the league’s Defensive Lineman of the Week for three consecutive weeks.
“I have just been embracing the process,” said Smith. “I have met a lot of great teams and coaches along the way. They have shown me some great things to work on. Playing at Mississippi State and the SEC has prepared me to play in the league.”
McKinney was one of 26 players invited to attend the draft in Chicago. The former two-star Rosa Fort High School quarterback is the epitome of how MSU develops players. After redshirting as a true freshman in 2011, McKinney blossomed into a first-team All-America linebacker – MSU’s first at that position since 1999 – while finishing his career with 244 tackles.
McKinney was the squad’s leading tackler as a sophomore and junior before declaring for the draft in January. He is projected as a late first rounder to early to mid-second round choice.
Both Smith and McKinney are ranked in NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock’s top 65 players available.
Defensive tackle Kaleb Eulls has drawn rave reviews from scouts on being an every down player. The steady Eulls started all 52 games of his career, acquiring 118 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss of 34 yards, four sacks, one pass breakup and a fumble recovery. The Yazoo City native is projected as a day three selection.
All-SEC running back Josh Robinson, who declared early for the draft, has been projected to go on Saturday as well. Robinson finished his Bulldog career tying the school record for yards per carry with 6.2. That figure matched the mark of Harvey Johnson 75 years ago (1938-40). In 2014, Robinson tied for the SEC lead in rushing touchdowns with 11 while rushing for 1,203 yards on 190 carries. He became the fourth different 1,000-yard rusher under Dan Mullen in six seasons.
Other former MSU players who could be selected in the 2015 NFL Draft include: safety Justin Cox, linebacker Matt Wells, center Dillon Day, offensive lineman Ben Beckwith and offensive lineman Blaine Clausell. Several former players are also expected to sign free agent deals following the draft. A complete listing of those players will be released Monday.
MSU has produced 13 NFL Draft picks under Mullen since 2010. The Bulldogs are likely to have two picks in the first two rounds for the second time in three years.
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ESPN and the NFL Network will televise the three-day event. It’s also available online through WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. The first round begins at 7 p.m. CT Thursday, while rounds two and three get underway at 6 p.m. CT Friday. Rounds four through seven will be televised beginning at 11 a.m. CT Saturday.
Headlining the list of MSU players on the board are defensive end Preston Smith and linebacker Benardrick McKinney. Smith’s stock as a pass rusher has skyrocketed since his NFL Combine and MSU Pro Day. Projections put the former All-Southeastern Conference star as a late first rounder to early second round pick.
Smith will watch the draft from his native state of Georgia. The Stone Mountain, Ga., native started all 13 games last season, ranking sixth in the SEC in sacks (nine) and fifth in tackles for loss (15). Smith gathered 134 tackles and forced seven turnovers during his career, including five forced fumbles. He is the only player in SEC history to be named the league’s Defensive Lineman of the Week for three consecutive weeks.
“I have just been embracing the process,” said Smith. “I have met a lot of great teams and coaches along the way. They have shown me some great things to work on. Playing at Mississippi State and the SEC has prepared me to play in the league.”
McKinney was one of 26 players invited to attend the draft in Chicago. The former two-star Rosa Fort High School quarterback is the epitome of how MSU develops players. After redshirting as a true freshman in 2011, McKinney blossomed into a first-team All-America linebacker – MSU’s first at that position since 1999 – while finishing his career with 244 tackles.
McKinney was the squad’s leading tackler as a sophomore and junior before declaring for the draft in January. He is projected as a late first rounder to early to mid-second round choice.
Both Smith and McKinney are ranked in NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock’s top 65 players available.
Defensive tackle Kaleb Eulls has drawn rave reviews from scouts on being an every down player. The steady Eulls started all 52 games of his career, acquiring 118 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss of 34 yards, four sacks, one pass breakup and a fumble recovery. The Yazoo City native is projected as a day three selection.
All-SEC running back Josh Robinson, who declared early for the draft, has been projected to go on Saturday as well. Robinson finished his Bulldog career tying the school record for yards per carry with 6.2. That figure matched the mark of Harvey Johnson 75 years ago (1938-40). In 2014, Robinson tied for the SEC lead in rushing touchdowns with 11 while rushing for 1,203 yards on 190 carries. He became the fourth different 1,000-yard rusher under Dan Mullen in six seasons.
Other former MSU players who could be selected in the 2015 NFL Draft include: safety Justin Cox, linebacker Matt Wells, center Dillon Day, offensive lineman Ben Beckwith and offensive lineman Blaine Clausell. Several former players are also expected to sign free agent deals following the draft. A complete listing of those players will be released Monday.
MSU has produced 13 NFL Draft picks under Mullen since 2010. The Bulldogs are likely to have two picks in the first two rounds for the second time in three years.
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