Michigan State had two players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft this past weekend. The first was Wake Forest transfer Matt Gulbin and the other was multi-year starting punter Ryan Eckley.
The two were selected just two picks apart and they went to opposite conferences. Gulbin was picked by the Washington Commanders in the NFC and Eckley was chosen by the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC. However, both face very similar situations.
I wrote earlier today about how Gulbin could be the Day 1 starter in Washington at center after the Commanders let Tyler Biadasz go and re-signed his backup to a cheaper deal. They drafted Gulbin for the sole purpose of having him win the starting job and become the center of the future. The front office did say they were praying to land him.
Now it’s time to look at the other Spartan draft pick and see if Eckley has a legitimate shot to be the Ravens’ Day 1 starter at the punter position.
And it’s no surprise that Eckley has a much better chance to start than his former MSU teammate.
Ryan Eckley’s road to the starting job is clear
The Ravens parted ways with Pro Bowler Jordan Stout this offseason as the New York Giants made him the highest-paid punter in the league and then they signed 2025 undrafted free agent Luke Elzinga to a three-year $3.1 million deal.
Elzinga went undrafted out of Oklahoma last season after starting his career at Central Michigan and he’s never taken a live NFL snap. That leaves the door wide open for Eckley.
Obviously you don’t waste a draft pick on a punter if you’re not 100 percent willing to give him a starting shot, but Eckley isn’t going to be handed anything. Elzinga was a solid collegiate punter at Oklahoma and was invited to some minicamps last year, but never got signed. He’s now locked in for three years and over $3 million. Eckley is at least going to have to break a sweat here.
The Ravens could have room for both on their roster depending on how they run their special teams, but Eckley has to just got out and prove that he’s a better punter than Elzinga — based on college numbers, he is.
Eckley was an All-American and a three-year starter at Michigan State, averaging 47.7 yards per punt over his career and a nation-best 48.5 in 2025. Elzinga was around a little longer (since 2020) and averaged 43.1 yards per punt throughout his career, including the SEC in total punts (60) in 2024.
I’m going to go ahead and give the advantage to Eckley. If he doesn’t start, I’d be shocked.
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