Kenny Willekes Michigan State Defensive End NFL Draft Report
East Lansing, MI— With as many as six Michigan State players expected to get picked in this weekend’s NFL draft, which gets underway on Thursday night with the first round and runs through Saturday. With no Spartans anticipated to be selected in the first round, the Spartans could start seeing players go off the board in the middle rounds, which means early as Friday night when the second and third rounds are conducted.
Michigan State defensive end Kenny Willekes is rated by some national draft analysts as the Spartans top draft prospect and could be the first Spartan to hear his name called this weekend.
Willekes checks in as the No. One hundred fourteen ranked player according to Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Hanson, who also predicts the 6-foot-3, 264-pound defensive end to be drafted in the fourth round by the Miami Dolphins (No. 141 overall). CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards has Willekes checking in as the No. 171 rated draft prospect.
What are NFL people saying about Willekes and his draft prospects this weekend? One NFL scout told Spartan Nation that Willekes’ work ethic and attitude are two areas that impress when it comes to Willekes.
“The thing that sticks out to us is that when you do your research, he comes from a wealthy family, his dad is a super successful physician. Yet the kid still has hunger. That tells you that money won’t change him because he comes from money and has the hunger of a broke kid. Relentless never stops; the motor keeps running. Seems to be very teachable, so the things that need to be fixed, there’s no concern that they will be.”
After beginning his collegiate career as a walk-on at Michigan State, Willekes quickly became one of Michigan State’s best defensive linemen, recording a Michigan State record 51 tackles for loss and 26 sacks, which is third-most in Spartan history. A two-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection, Willekes also appeared in 40 games, making 38 starts.
Remember to stay tuned to Spartan Nation for all of the latest news on Willekes and the Michigan State football program!
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