CHICAGO, Ill.- A total of seven players spanning across three universities from Mississippi were selected in the 2015 NFL Draft, with many more signing free agent contracts. Days two and three of the draft produced our seven players, three in the second round, and then a gap, and then four were chosen in the sixth.
The first two off the board were Mississippi State Defenders Preston Smith and Benardrick McKinney. Smith, a hybrid DE/OLB, and a second team All-SEC selection for 2014, went early second round to the Washington Redskins at 38th overall. McKinney, and Inside Linebacker, was taken just five picks later when the Houston Texans traded up to take him at 43rd overall.
Then rounding out the second round picks was Ole Miss defensive back Senquez Golson. Golson was one of two unanimous defensive first-team All-SEC selections this past season. He was picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers at 56th overall.
Later on in Day 3, the sixth round exploded with Mississippi players, rattling off three from Mississippi State. Linebacker Matt Wells went 178th to the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Seventeen picks later, Tight End Malcolm Johnson went 195th to the Cleveland Browns, followed by Running Back Josh Robinson, who was taken at 205 by the Indianapolis Colts.
Last but not least, Southern Miss defensive tackle/end Rakeem Nunez-Roches was selected at 217 by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Other players not drafted in the 7 rounds, but were picked up as UDFA’s with a mini-camp tryout and a chance to make the 53-man active roster in August.
Players from Mississippi State:
- DB Justin Cox- Kansas City Chiefs
- DB Jay Hughes- St. Louis Rams
- OL Ben Beckwith- San Diego Chargers
- OL Blaine Causell- Baltimore Ravens
- OL Dillon Day- Denver Broncos
- DL Kaleb Eulls- New Orleans Saints
- DL- P.J. Jones- Miami Dophins
Players from Ole Miss:
- S Cody Prewitt- Tennessee Titans
- DE Carlos Thompson- Houston Texans
- QB Bo Wallace- Kansas City Chiefs
Southern Miss placekicker Corey Acosta, per his Twitter, says he has a minicamp tryout with the Washington Redskins.
