There are a handful of players that I wish Pat Fitzgerald and his coaching staff were able to get their hands on from the Jonathan Smith era. I’m talking about Michigan State players who were really good under Smith, but who were likely held back.
Guys like Nate Carter or Nick Marsh or Jack Velling. These guys were all star-like figures in East Lansing, but they never reached their potential because of the deficiencies of Smith and his staff.
Another guy who comes to mind is Matt Gulbin. The Wake Forest transfer center was recruited by Smith in the portal so he gets credit for identifying talent, but he played for such a bad team on a mediocre offensive line that he likely disappeared in a lot of scouts’ eyes.
Then he didn’t exactly grade the best physically at the NFL Combine or throughout the process which seemed to scare some teams off, but the Washington Commanders took the All-Big Ten selection in the sixth round at No. 209 overall. He was, however, on the Rimington Trophy watch list and he was often considered one of the best centers in the country.
Gulbin’s fall to the sixth round was rather surprising, and one number proves that he might just be the steal of the 2026 NFL Draft. Pro Football Focus graded him as the best center in the draft class.
Best in class 👏@GulbinMatt | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/EbBon2cMfH
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) April 30, 2026
Center isn’t a position that teams are going to reach for on Days 1 or 2, but it’s important enough to “pray” that a Gulbin-type falls to you in the sixth round. Gulbin wasn’t the first center drafted but that just goes to show that the Commanders knocked this pick out of the park.
Picking the highest-graded player at a certain position in the sixth round? The Commanders’ front office deserves some type of award for this elite ball knowledge.
Both Michigan State rookies have a chance to start
While I believe that the Commanders drafted Gulbin for the sole reason of starting him despite signing the previous backup to a long-term deal, he’s still going to have to fight for his keep.
My prediction is that Gulbin wins the starting battle at center in Washington and becomes the latest Spartan lineman to start in the NFL — Brian Allen, AJ Arcuri, and Jack Conklin are the most recent ones that come to mind. And Luke Newman will start soon.
As for Ryan Eckley, the Ravens did sign a free agent punter earlier this offseason, but you don’t spend a pick on a punter if you don’t plan on giving him a legitimate opportunity.
Both drafted Spartans could be Day 1 starters for their respective teams and they both went in the sixth round. Not too shabby.
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