Michigan State Football: Early ranking of top 2019 NFL Draft prospects

With the 2018 NFL Draft in the books, it’s time to look ahead and see which Michigan State player can keep the streak alive in 2019.

The 2018 NFL Draft is in the books and thanks to Brian Allen, the streak of consecutive seasons with at least one Spartan selected lives on — it’s now at 78 years.

Looking ahead to the 2019 NFL Draft, Michigan State should have more eligible players who could go earlier than the fourth round. The Spartans have one of the youngest teams in the country and they may not even lose that many players to the draft next season — depending on how a few of the guys on this list do as juniors.

The youth movement continues in 2018, but the draft streak should continue and hit 79 years thanks to some key skill position players making moves.

Here’s an early look at Michigan State’s top seven 2019 NFL draft prospects.

It’s tough to say just what kind of prospect Khari Willis could be, but if he shows improvement with his coverage skills, he could be a solid day three prospect. We all know he likes to hit and he’s aggressive in the open field.

The former high school running back has the athleticism and quickness to improve in coverage and it’s not like he’s useless back there, but that’s definitely one area that could improve.

The 6-foot-0, 215-pound safety has a good, thick frame and he’s grown both size-wise and on the field over the past three years exponentially. He has gone from depth piece to staple of the defensive backfield and team leader in a matter of a couple of years.

Willis finished his junior season with 71 total tackles, 5.5 for loss, 3.0 sacks, three pass deflections and two interceptions. Keep an eye on him as a potential late-round selection.