The NFL Draft has finally arrived and sports fans across the country as salivating for video of Roger Goodell in his basement. (Imagine if I pulled you aside three months ago and read you that sentence.)
Michigan State has a long tradition of sending players to the NFL Draft, with a Spartan being selected in 79 (soon to be 80) straight drafts. There is an absolutely microscopic chance a Spartan goes in the first round of this year’s draft, but the program does have a nice history of players getting selected in the top 32.
A total of eight former Spartans have heard their names called in the first round of the NFL Draft since 1999 and that includes a couple of rough years during the Bobby Williams and John L. Smith days.
Before we start the list, can you name all eight?
Dimitrius Underwood, Defensive End – 29th overall to Minnesota Vikings, 1999
Yes, I’m aware of who is coming up on this list, but Dimitrius Underwood’s story might be the saddest as it relates to Michigan State football and the NFL Draft. Underwood struggled with bipolar disorder during a time in which mental health treatment didn’t have a place in football. He left the Minnesota Vikings training camp after the first practice and eventually had to forfeit his signing bonus money. Eventually he latched on as a backup with the Dallas Cowboys. He reportedly was tormented by visions of an impending apocalypse and spent time in protective care and psychiatric facilities, and jail before his football career came to an end.
Plaxico Burress, Wide Receiver – 8th overall to Pittsburgh Steelers, 2000
Plax was taken in the top 10 of the 2000 draft and went on to have a productive 11-year career capped by catching the game-winning touchdown for the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. Burress totaled 553 catches for 8,499 yards and 64 touchdowns in his career. He also accidentally shot himself in the leg at a nightclub in 2008.
Julian Peterson, Linebacker – 16th overall to San Francisco 49ers, 2000
Peterson left MSU as the school’s leader in tackles for a loss after two insanely productive seasons. He then embarked on a solid 10-year NFL career complete with five Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro honors. Peterson retired from football in 2010 after playing with the Detroit Lions for two seasons.
T.J. Duckett, Running Back – 18th overall to Atlanta Falcons, 2002
Duckett had a couple of nice seasons with Atlanta, usually serving a complimentary role in the team’s rushing attack featuring Mike Vick and Warrick Dunn. He had a career-best 779 yards and 11 touchdowns during the 2003 season and stuck around the NFL for seven years, which is pretty solid for a running back.
Charles Rogers, Wide Receiver – 2nd overall to Detroit Lions, 2003
Charles Rogers was one of if not the most talented football players in Michigan State history. As we all know, injuries and addiction forced his professional career off the rails before it could ever really get going. When he was healthy, Chuck was as good as it got. Rogers died in November of 2019 of liver failure.
Darqueze Dennard, Cornerback – 24th overall to Cincinnati Bengals, 2014
Dennard broke a decade-plus streak of no Michigan State players being selected in the first round when the Cincinnati Bengas grabbed him 24th overall in 2014. Dennard won the Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in college in 2013 and helped establish the first “No Fly Zone” at MSU. Dennard struggled to get on the field early in his career, but finally found a role as a quality slot corner at the next level.
Trae Waynes, Cornerback – 11th overall to Minnesota Vikings, 2015
Waynes’ 2015 selection made it back-to-back first round corners for Michigan State. Waynes was eyed as a top pick after running the fastest time for a cornerback at the 2015 NFL Combine. Waynes played for Minnesota for the first five years of his career before signing this March with the Cincinnati Bengals as a free agent for $42 million.
Jack Conklin, Offensive Tackle – 8th overall to Tennessee Titans, 2016
Conklin will go down as the highest selection of the Mark Dantonio era at Michigan State. Conklin was taken 8th overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2016 and immediately made an impact as an All-Pro player in his first year. Conklin tore his ACL late in his second season and took some time to fully recover. He bounced back in 2019 and this offseason signed with the Cleveland Browns on a three-year, $42 million contract.
