Michigan State Spartans on National Football Post’s 2013 NFL Top 200 Draft Prospects

Six Michigan State Spartans were included on the recently released 2013 list of the National Football Post’s Top 200 Draft Prospects put together by Russ Lande. He gives each player a grade in order to rank the various prospects.  The graded list ranges from A-J, with M (for meets standard requirements) and Z (for shouldn’t be drafted) as options. He also has a point scale ranging up to 8, which would indicate a player who would make a huge difference on a team and who should be a top-10 selection. 

Dion Sims Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

#66 Dion Sims – Tight End –  7.00, I

For Dion Sims, a score of 7.00 means that he is a very good starting player, but a second-round selection. The “I” grade means that he meets the minimum height and weight requirements and plays to the very limits of his abilities. He’ll be grouped in with the main class of NFL athletes.

While playing for the Spartans, Dion Sims certainly made his mark. He made second team All-Big Ten. His career highs are 7 catches, 112 receiving yards, and 1 touchdown catch, eight times. In 2012, he had a total of 36 catches, 475 receiving yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns. His career totals are 59, 707, and 8, respectively. It will certainly be interesting to see where he ends up after the draft.

William Gholston. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

#67 William Gholston – Defensive End – 6.90, E

William Gholston was ranked at a 6.90 score  by NFP, meaning that they believe he’s a very good starting player,  but that he’ll be part of the third round of selections. Additionally, the grade of “E” means that he’s inconsistent and that the ranking board does not believe that he lives up to his talent potential.

At Michigan State, Gholston was a three-year letterwinner. He collected 142 tackles and 10 sacks in his 36 career games. For 24 of those games, Gholston was a starter. He finished his career at MSU ranked number 10 for career tackles for loss at 30. Gholston was a finalist for the Lombardi Award, given to the college linebacker of the year. He received the team’s Most Outstanding Underclass Lineman Award and the Danziger Award. In the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, Gholston was named the Defensive Player of the Game after he took nine tackles to help MSU win 17-16 over Texas Christian University. I’m not sure where he will wind up, but with a resume like that, he has a career worth following.

Anthony Rashad White. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

#154 Anthony Rashad White – Nose Tackle – 5.40, J

Anthony Rashad White is a 330 pound, 6’2″ three-time letterwinner with 65 career tackles under his belt. The score of 5.40 indicates that he makes a good backup and special teams player. He’ll be a fifth-round selection. As a recipient of a J grade, NFP believes that White has very good athletic ability and has done a great job in his college career. However, he does not meet the minimum weight requirement for his position.

White’s career highs are: 7 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, and .5 twice, sacks. As a junior, White appeared in 13 games with four starts as a nose tackle and he collected a total of 25 tackles during the season. As a senior, White started 12 games as nose tackle, recorded 23 tackles, and had a season high of 5 stops.

Le’Veon Bell. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

#159 Le’Veon Bell – Running Back – 5.40, I

To be honest, I was a bit surprised when I saw Le’Veon bell so far down the list. However, his score still means that he’s a great back-up player and that he would be a good fit on special teams and projects. Bell received a score of 5.4. He was given a grade of “I” as well.

Bell is best described as a beast. He’s known to carry guys down the field and continue moving the ball before finally succumbing to a tackle. Bell has a career high of 44 caries, 266 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns (twice), 8 receptions, and 58 receiving yards. He also is 6th in the MSU career record book for having 33 rushing touchdowns and 7th in the record book for career rushing yards (3346). Bell made the news when he came in second in MSU history for single season rushing yards (1793). I’m looking forward to seeing who picks him up in the draft.

Chris Norman. Mandatory Credit: Reid Compton-USA TODAY Sports

#162 Chris Norman – Linebacker – 5.40, J

Chris Norman, offensive linebacker, was rated 5.40, also making him a good choice as a backup guy and a special games guy. The J rating means that he has very good athletic ability and he was very productive in college, but he doesn’t meet the minimum weight requirement for the position he plays.

Norman was a four-year letterwinner and a three-year starter as Star linebacker. He appeared in all thirteen games this past season and ranked seventh on the team with 51 tackles. He was elected captain by his teammates, and he received the Clarence Underwood Sportsmanship Award for defense. His career highs were 10 tackles, twice, 3.0  tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and 2 pass break-ups.

Johnny Adams. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

#178 Johnny Adams – Cornerback – 5.00, I

Like the previous three teammates, this 5’11” 177 pound cornerback received a score indicating that he’s a decent player,  but that he should be chosen as a backup in the fifth round of draft selections.

Adams was a three-year starter at cornerback and a four-year letterwinner who played in 54 career games. He was a three-time All-Big Ten selection. He had 157 career tackles and 35 passes defended with 11 interceptions and 24 pass break-ups. His career highs were 7 tackles, three times in a game, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack four times, 2 pass break-ups four times, and 2 interceptions.

Other Players in the Draft

While these six players made the NFP list, there were other MSU players who are in the draft this year. Dan Conroy, Tyler Hoover, Chris Mcdonald, Larry Caper, and Mitchell White will also be entering the 2013 NFL draft.

Who would be your picks, and what teams would you put them on?