Who MSU's Next Potential Breakout NFL Draft Prospect Could Be

One of the best ways to elevate your program's status is by sending players to the pros.

Michigan State is awaiting the draft fates of center Matt Gulbin, punter Ryan Eckley, and perhaps safety Malik Spencer this season, but the Spartans are also starting up a new era for the football program under Pat Fitzgerald.

Michigan State's head coach Pat Fitzgerald looks on during the football Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Fitzgerald's Draft Success

Despite having serious academic restrictions and limited resources at Northwestern, Fitzgerald still had 20 draft picks developed during his time as the head coach there. With some more freedom to operate at MSU, Fitzgerald should be able to generate some more.

One of the first items of business when Fitzgerald arrived on campus was the transfer portal class. The Spartans ended up taking 31 players out of the transfer portal this cycle, actually adding Jackson State wide receiver transfer Jameel Gardner Jr. on Saturday. One of Michigan State's portal additions has a great chance to get himself onto NFL radars this season.

Learning About Ben Murawski

One player who I think can breakout as an NFL prospect is UConn offensive tackle transfer Ben Murawski. He was the very first transfer portal prospect to commit to Michigan State this past winter and is set to be Alessio Milivojevic's blindside protector as the starting quarterback in 2026.

The first thing that sticks out about Murawski is how huge he is. MSU has him listed at 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds, making him tied for the tallest player on the team and the second-heaviest. Murawski's frame indicates that the weight is good. NFL teams do not have time to wait around for a guy to get to the right frame, so Murawski is already off to a great start there.

Secondly, Murawski has produced at a high level before. He graded out as one of the best run-blockers in the entire country last season at UConn, earning an 86.4 mark from PFF. Murawski will have to improve his pass-blocking this season, as he earned just a 54.4 grade there with the Huskies.

Making that jump up to the Big Ten level can also be the deciding factor. Largely because of the transfer portal, more and more NFL draft picks are coming from the top levels of college football. Last year, 86.7% of the draft picks (223 of 257) came from Big Ten, SEC, ACC, or Big 12 schools. The NFL can identify talent anywhere, but Murawski moving up a level sure makes it more likely he'll get noticed if he plays well enough.

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