Three Michigan State Spartans Who Could Be Drafted in April
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With mock draft season heating up, NFL fans are starting to learn names beyond the usual blue-blood programs. Soon, a few Michigan State Spartans will enter that conversation—even after one of the roughest seasons the program has put on television.
Luckily for players, NFL scouts don’t watch the scoreboard—they watch the film.
And if scouts don’t catch you early, there’s always the Senior Bowl. Each year, more than 100 prospects get a chance to showcase their skills in front of NFL coaches, scouts, and general managers during a week filled with practices, interviews, and one-on-one meetings against top-tier competition.
Michigan State currently has three players on the Senior Bowl Top 300 list, and all three have a legitimate shot at hearing their names called in late April:
- TE Jack Velling
- P Ryan Eckley
- DB Nikai Martinez
TE – Jack Velling
Jack Velling began his college career at Oregon State, where he quickly established himself as one of the most productive tight ends in the country.
As a freshman, Velling earned Honorable Mention Freshman All-American honors from College Football News after catching 16 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns in seven starts.
He followed that up with a standout sophomore season, earning Second-Team All-Pac-12 honors while setting an Oregon State single-season record for touchdowns by a tight end with eight. That total tied for the most by any tight end in the FBS during the regular season. Velling finished the year with 29 catches for 438 yards in 11 starts.
After reaching the top at Oregon State, Velling transferred to Michigan State in 2024, following head coach Jonathan Smith to East Lansing.
In his first season as a Spartan, Velling posted career highs with 36 receptions for 411 yards and a touchdown in 10 starts. He represented MSU at Big Ten Media Days and was named to the Mackey Award Watch List for the nation’s best tight end.
Velling capped his career with another productive senior season, earning Third-Team All-Big Ten honors from the media and honorable mention recognition from coaches. He again led MSU tight ends with 36 catches, totaling 359 yards and three touchdowns while playing in all 12 games. Over his final two contests (vs. Iowa and Maryland), Velling recorded 13 receptions for 156 yards and a touchdown.
For the second straight year, he was named to the Mackey Award Watch List, solidifying his status as one of the top tight end prospects in the Big Ten.
P – Ryan Eckley
(Currently the only MSU player to accept a Senior Bowl invite)
Ryan Eckley has quietly built one of the most impressive résumés of any punter in the country.
As a redshirt freshman in 2023, Eckley was named a First-Team Freshman All-American by both the FWAA and The Athletic, along with Second-Team All-Big Ten honors from coaches and media. He averaged 46.7 yards per punt, ranking second in the Big Ten and eighth nationally. His season included 24 punts of 50+ yards, four punts over 60 yards, and 23 downed inside the 20.
In 2024, Eckley took another leap, leading the Big Ten with a 47.9-yard punting average, the third-best mark in MSU history. He earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors from coaches, third-team recognition from the media, and honorable mention All-American honors from Phil Steele.
Then came his breakout 2025 season.
Eckley was named a Second-Team All-American (AFCA) and Third-Team All-American (AP) while becoming just the second Spartan ever to win Big Ten Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year. He was a consensus First-Team All-Big Ten selection across coaches, media, AP, and USA TODAY.
Statistically, Eckley led the Big Ten and ranked second nationally with a 48.5-yard punting average, the second-best single-season mark in school history. He recorded 23 punts of 50+ yards, 20 inside the 20, and 10 inside the 10—four of which were downed at the 1-yard line.
Notable honors include:
- 2025 Big Ten Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year
- 2025 All-American (AFCA Second Team; AP Third Team)
- 2025 First-Team All-Big Ten (Coaches, Media, AP, USA TODAY)
Eckley is already locked into the Senior Bowl and could be one of the first specialists selected in April.
DB – Nikai Martinez
Nikai Martinez began his college career at UCF, where he made an immediate impact in the secondary.
As a freshman, Martinez appeared in all 14 games, recording 21 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and two pass breakups while also contributing heavily on special teams.
In his sophomore season, Martinez started all 13 games at safety, logging 731 defensive snaps. He tied for the team lead with three interceptions, returning them for 94 yards—ranking second in the Big 12 and among the top 25 nationally.
Martinez transferred to Michigan State in 2024, starting all 12 games at safety during Jonathan Smith’s first season in East Lansing. He finished third on the team with 51 tackles, tied for second with two interceptions, and ranked 11th in the Big Ten with 62 interception return yards. Martinez also posted career highs in tackles for loss and pass breakups while leading the team with 724 defensive snaps.
In his final season, injuries limited Martinez to just four games, but his impact was still felt. He totaled 24 tackles and provided a noticeable boost to the Spartan defense late in the year, particularly in matchups against Michigan and Minnesota—the latter an overtime loss that nearly became MSU’s first Big Ten win of the season.
Overview
At this point, Velling, Eckley, and Martinez stand as Michigan State’s top NFL Draft prospects. Over the next several months, their paths will continue through the Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine, MSU Pro Day, and individual workouts.
Whether it’s Eckley booming punts in Mobile or Velling and Martinez earning late invites, all three will have opportunities to put themselves on draft boards—and possibly see their names scroll across the screen on draft weekend.
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