Prominent NFL Draft Analyst Gives Big Praise to MSU's Gulbin

Mel Kiper Jr. has the Spartans' former center as one of his favorite interior offensive linemen in the draft.

Michigan State center Matt Gulbin gets ready to throw a block during the Spartans' game against the USC Trojans on Sept. 20, 2025. | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

One of Michigan State's NFL Draft prospects seems to be rising in the minds of the experts.

On Tuesday, longtime ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. posted an update to his "big board" with about two and a half months to go before the draft begins. He's someone who is quite optimistic about MSU center Matt Gulbin's draft stock at the moment. Kiper has Gulbin as the second-best center in the entire draft and as his No. 4 interior offensive lineman.

Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) calls for a snap from offensive lineman Matt Gulbin (51) against Western Michigan during the first half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Friday, August 29, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Additionally, Kiper recently went on ESPN and named Gulbin as one of "his guys" in this year's cycle. He could have chosen any of the hundreds of draft prospects, but he chose the former Spartan.

"What he did at center this year was outstanding for Michigan State," Kiper said on TV. "I don't know why he's gotten lost in the shuffle. I've had him as my third-, fourth-best interior [offensive] lineman all year."

More on Gulbin, NFL Stock

January 7, 2026; The 2026 NFL Draft logo is displayed atop the NFL Draft countdown clock. | Ethan Morrison / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For a good chunk of the year, it seemed like Gulbin might be a later-round pick or a priority UDFA type of prospect. Kiper actually seems to think that he'll move up either the third or fourth round of this year's draft.

"People have slept on Matt Gulbin; they've missed the boat on Matt Gulbin," Kiper said. "Matt Gulbin is a guy NFL teams are aware of. I think he gets into that third, fourth-round range, and at that point, he becomes a future starter in the NFL, and at worst, he's a really good backup at guard [or] center. I think he's a starting pivot-man, starting anchor of an offensive line in the National Football League."

Matt Gulbin 3rd-4th Round? pic.twitter.com/JaGoIo4fxV

— John (@FromEastLansing) February 12, 2026

If Kiper's prediction about Gulbin comes true, Gulbin would become the highest-drafted offensive lineman to come from Michigan State in some time. MSU has had an offensive lineman get picked in the last two drafts. The Baltimore Ravens picked Nick Samac in 2024 and the Chicago Bears took Luke Newman in 2025, but both of those selections were in the seventh and sixth round, respectively.

If Gulbin goes in the fourth, it would be the highest such selection for a Spartan OL since Brian Allen also went in the fourth round at 111th overall back to the Los Angeles Rams in 2018. If he goes in the third, or maybe even earlier if you're feeling really optimistic, you'd have to go back to when Jack Conklin went eighth overall to the Tennessee Titans in 2016.

Michigan State's Matt Gulbin, right, hugs quarterback Aidan Chiles before the football game against Boston College on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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