Trio of Former Mississippi State Football Stars Making Waves in NFL Preseason
Three NFL rookies hailing from Mississippi State are each having strong starts to their professional careers.
Offensive lineman Charles Cross, cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. and wide receiver Makai Polk have thrived with the start of NFL preseason games. Although the three former Bulldogs have been playing professionally for just a few months, they are already proving that they can compete with some of the biggest stars in the league.
Cross was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the ninth pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and is already expected to be a consistent starter for the team. The 6-foot-5, 307-pounder has been listed as the starting left tackle on the Seahawks' unofficial depth chart with less than one month remaining until the season begins. Seattle will play its first preseason game of the year abasing the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night, and Cross will likely see playing time at some point in the contest.
If there's any rookie defensive back that has not been afraid to show off against some talented veterans, it's Emerson. The cornerback made one of the biggest plays of the preseason on Friday night, as he wrestled a poorly thrown ball out of the hands of Jacksonville Jaguars' receiver Jeff Cotton and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown. Emerson also recorded three tackles on the night and helped lead his team to a 24-13 victory.
Lastly, wide receiver Makai Polk is proving to be a valuable signee for the Baltimore Ravens after going undrafted in 2022. The former Bulldog pulled in a team-high six catches for 43 yards in the Ravens' Thursday night preseason game against the Tennessee Titans. Baltimore went on to win the game by a score of 23-10, and Polk should expect to receive more playing time in the near future as a result of his impressive night.
