Spartan Avenue
Fansided

Michigan State Football: Who helped, hurt their stock at NFL Combine?

By Connor Muldowney

Mar 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State defensive end Malik McDowell speaks to the media during the 2017 combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State defensive end Malik McDowell speaks to the media during the 2017 combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

After most NFL Combine events, results, which Michigan State football players helped and hurt their stock?

The NFL Combine took place this past weekend, into today, and three former Michigan State football players showed up and showed off.

Must Read: MSU Football: Top 50 players in school history

Montae Nicholson, Malik McDowell and Riley Bullough were all invited to the combine and each had a strong showing for the respective positions. However, two of them helped their stock and one didn’t do much to improve his, rather remained a late-round pick.

Which Spartans helped, hurt or didn’t do much to their NFL draft stock after the combine?

Stock Up: Malik McDowell, Montae Nicholson

https://twitter.com/SportsGuyTweets/status/838405145369198593

Malik McDowell had an impressive showing, measuring in at 6-foot-6, 295 pounds (regardless of what the second tweet says) and running a 4.86 40-yard dash. Those are the type of numbers from a defensive lineman that could get him picked in the top 15.

One thing that may have hurt his stock a bit, but his numbers overshadowed it, was his interview process. Some raised questions about his work ethic and he stated that the coaching staff didn’t try to change his style much because they knew they couldn’t — something to that effect. One team also said his was the worst interview they did and another called it ‘awful.’

As for Montae Nicholson, he ran a 4.43 40-yard dash on his second try after running it in 4.48 on the first attempt.

Many would argue that Nicholson earned himself some major money by running that fast of a 40-yard dash. For a safety, that’s an incredible mark and he may have just played himself into a 3-4 round selection — up from 5-6.

No Change in Stock: Riley Bullough

Those are all solid numbers for linebackers, but nothing out of the ordinary. He weighed in at 226 pounds, standing 6-foot-2 and the strength is clearly there with 20 reps of 225 on the bench. He could be a mid-to-late round selection and having a brother who has been successful with the Texans might help his case.

Related Story: MSU Recruiting: Top 7 in-state football targets for 2018

Michigan State has some top NFL talent heading into the draft in two months and two of the Spartans’ top prospects weren’t even invited to the combine — R.J. Shelton and Josiah Price.

Home/Spartans Football