NFL Draft watch starts for MSU’s Ross, Senior
MSU’s Ross, Senior headline list of next potential NFL stars
It was one year ago when the Dallas Cowboys selected former Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott in the fourth round of the
National Football League
Draft.
Prescott, of course, went on to become a Pro Bowler and this past season’s NFL
Offensive Rookie of the
Year as he led the Cowboys to an NFC East title.
Who will be the next Bulldog to become an NFL star? That question could be answered over the next three days as this year’s NFL Draft begins tonight. MSU head coach Dan Mullen is hoping to see several of his former players get the special call informing them they have achieved their professional dreams.
“These guys and a lot of young guys have dreams of going off to play in the NFL,” Mullen said following MSU’s Pro Day last month. “These are guys who have worked hard throughout their career. They worked hard and played hard for Mississippi State and they were successful on and off the field.”
Fred Ross headlines MSU’s list of potential draftees. Ross concluded his collegiate career this last season as one of the greatest receivers in school history.
Ross rewrote the Bulldog record books. He shattered seven school records. Ross is projected as a late-round pick. He’s seen interest from numerous teams, including the Cowboys, where a reunion with Prescott could await. If that were to happen, Ross wouldn’t mind a bit.
“It would be big,” Ross said of potentially landing in Dallas. “I am from Texas and I live an hour away from Dallas, so that would be big and my family would have a chance to come watch us play and me and Dak would be reunited.”
Of course, there are no guarantees Ross ends up a Cowboy. There are 31 other teams that could hitch their wagon to Ross.
Wherever Ross goes, Mullen believes he’ll be incredibly valuable to his new squad.
“He’s a football player,” Mullen said of Ross. “I think he has the opportunity, like he did here, to play all three receiver positions. He has the flexibility to do a lot of different things at the next level. When you have small rosters, those are very valuable traits.”
Outside of Ross, former MSU offensive tackle Justin Senior perhaps has the best chance to be drafted. Both Ross and Senior were the only two Bulldogs who represented MSU at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine back in February.
Senior’s stock rose after his final season as a Bulldog and that could garner him a late-round selection. However, Senior is also regarded highly by scouts back in his home country who’d love to bring Senior back north to the Canadian Football League.
Several other MSU players could also land on professional rosters in the next few days. Even if guys like linebacker Richie Brown, defensive lineman A.J. Jefferson, running back Brandon Holloway or others aren’t drafted, free agent opportunities likely await.
No matter where his guys ultimately end up, Mullen wants them all to keep representing MSU like all the professional Bulldogs that have gone before them.
“When the young guys talk to the guys that are in the league, they see there is a certain standard and expectation that you have to carry when you represent our program when you get there,” Mullen said. “I think that has helped open the door for some of the other guys when NFL teams come up and say, ‘Hey, we know if we get a guy from Mississippi State they are going to work their tail off every single day for us.’ That is something for me that is really special, that we have that kind of reputation and it is now a responsibility for the other guys to carry on.”