A Recap of the 2024 NFL Draft for Mississippi State Football

Now that the draft is over, which Bulldogs are in a good position?

Nov 23, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs linebacker Nathaniel Watson / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The Mississippi State Bulldogs had three players taken in the 2024 NFL draft, the most for the program since 2020. The headline player for the Bulldogs was Nathaniel Watson, who the Cleveland Browns selected in the sixth round. 

Watson was a three-year starter in Starkville and a tackling machine. The Alabama native had his best season in 2023, leading the SEC in tackles and sacks. 

Watson will join former Bulldog cornerback Martin Emerson, who also plays for the Browns. He is older than most of the draftees, but few have had as much production as “Bookie,” the Browns got a steal. 

Decamerion Richardson was the first MSU player to leave the board as the Las Vegas Raiders selected him in the fourth round. The Louisiana native was the best athlete on the team a season ago for the Bulldogs, and he showcased that at the combine by running an impressive 4.34 forty—doing that at 6-2 190 pounds is impressive. 

He has the most upside of any Bulldog drafted because the physical tools are all there. Richardson was the fourth corner to be drafted from Mississippi State since 2020, and the more corners that get drafted from MSU, the more recruits will want to join that. 

Jaden Crumedy joins the long list of Mississippi State defensive linemen drafted into the NFL. Crumedy was a four-year starter for the Bulldogs and sometimes looked destined to be the next great interior defensive lineman at MSU. 

However, injuries hampered the Hattiesburg native, especially in the 2022 season, as he missed the first eight games. When Crumedy was on the field, the defense was noticeably better. 

He and Watson were a big reason for the Bulldogs shutting down the Ole Miss offense in 2022 en route to a win in the Egg Bowl. In 2023, Crumedy could not capitalize on the momentum from the prior year, but now he will get a chance to show his ability to the Carolina Panthers. 

Jett Johnson inked a free-agent deal with the New York Jets. Johnson finished in the top two in the SEC for tackles in 2022 and 2023; few people can say that it will be interesting to see if the Tupelo native can make a roster in the NFL.