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Michigan State football owns 3rd-longest streak of players selected in NFL Draft

By Connor Muldowney

Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Trae Waynes (Michigan State) greets NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected as the number eleven overall pick to the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Trae Waynes (Michigan State) greets NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected as the number eleven overall pick to the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michigan State football has the third-longest active streak of at least one player selected in the NFL Draft in all of college football.

For yet another year, Michigan State football has seen multiple players selected in the NFL Draft. This year, though, it was Malik McDowell (35th overall) and Montae Nicholson (4th round) who had the honor of hearing their names called in the draft.

Must Read: MSU Football: All-time Mark Dantonio era depth chart

While the three-year streak of having a player selected in the first round under Mark Dantonio was snapped, just barely, the Spartans did extend another impressive streak with McDowell’s pick by the Seahawks.

According to Reddit, Michigan State has had at least one player selected in the NFL Draft for 77 straight years, including the 2017 NFL Draft. That gives Michigan State the third-longest active streak in college football.

The only programs ahead of the Spartans are Michigan and USC, tied for first with 79 straight years, while the distance between Michigan State and the fourth-place team (Florida) is 11 years. This is the kind of stat that not many people would believe, if told.

Even during the down years of John L. Smith and Bobby Williams, the Spartans were producing NFL talent and that has only intensified under Dantonio. He has produced 28 NFL Draft selections during his 10-year tenure at MSU and that will grow in the coming years considerably.

Related Story: MSU Football: Top 50 players of all time

Who will extend Michigan State’s streak to 78 next year? Here’s a complete list of the Spartans’ top 2018 NFL Draft prospects.

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