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Mississippi State All-Time First-Round NFL Draft Picks
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Despite being shut out in 2025, Mississippi State has sent 206 players into pro football through the NFL Draft. Two-way end Chuck Gelatka was the first, going to the New York Giants in the 10th round in 1937. Fourth-round defensive back Decamerion Richardson and sixth-rounders Jaden Crumedy and Nathaniel Watson were the most recent in 2024. Mississippi State was the only SEC program that didn’t have a player selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Sixteen of those 206 selections were taken in the first round, including the trio of Jeffery Simmons, Montez Sweat and Jonathan Abram, all of whom heard their names called within 8 picks of each other in 2019.
Linebacker Johnie Cooks, who went No. 2 overall to the Baltimore Colts in 1982, is the highest-drafted Mississippi State player. Only 3 other Bulldogs in the top 10 since the arrival of the 2-platoon system. Running back Michael Haddix (8th overall in 1983), offensive tackle Charles Cross (9th, 2022) and defensive tackle Jimmy Webb (10th, 1975) are the others.
Mississippi State’s 1st-Round NFL Draft Picks
Here’s a look at each of Mississippi State’s 16 first-round picks, through the 2025 NFL Draft:
* – Knight spurned the NFL and signed with the New Jersey Generals of the USFL.
Notable Mississippi State Bulldogs in the NFL Draft
Mississippi State is one of only a few SEC teams not to have a No. 1 overall pick in its history (joining Arkansas, Florida and Missouri). But the Bulldogs do have several high picks that went on to enjoy successful NFL careers.
Here’s a look at some of the most notable:
Fletcher Cox, DT – No. 12 Overall Pick, 2012 NFL Draft (Philadelphia Eagles)
Cox’s NFL career is by far the best ever by a Mississippi State alumnus.
And it’s not even close.
The Eagles traded up from the 15th spot to No. 12 overall to take Cox, making him the earliest-selected former Bulldog since Philadelphia took running back Michael Haddix at No. 8 29 years earlier. The 6-foot-4, 314-pound defensive tackle ended up playing his entire 12-season career in Philadelphia.
Cox became a fan favorite and team leader because of his leadership, his relentless style of play and his engaging personality while compiling a resumé that includes 6 Pro Bowl selections, 4 All-Pro selections, a spot on the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team, 519 tackles, 70 sacks, 16 forced fumbles, 14 recoveries, 3 defensive touchdowns and a Super Bowl ring in 2017.
He retired after the 2023 season as the Eagles’ franchise leader in sacks and games played by a defensive tackle and is considered a strong candidate for Hall of Fame consideration once he becomes eligible in 2028.
Johnie Cooks, LB – No. 2 Overall Pick, 1982 NFL Draft (Baltimore Colts)
Cooks might never have played football, let alone starred at Mississippi State and become the highest-drafted player in school history, had it not been for a $5 loan from the owner of the land his father sharecropped to pay for his physical.
He went on to make the most of the opportunity. After growing into a 6-foot-4, 235-pound linebacker, he earned legendary status in Starkville by leading the Bulldogs in tackles twice while amassing 392 career stops, including one on the goal line that forced a game-clinching fumble, to lead an upset of top-ranked Alabama in 1980.
Cooks continued that success in the NFL by earning All-Rookie Team recognition in his first season with the Colts and won a championship ring by helping the Giants to a victory against the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV. He finished his 11-season NFL career with 32 sacks, 4 interceptions and 5 fumble recoveries.
Walt Harris, CB – No. 13 Overall Pick, 1996 NFL Draft (Chicago Bears)
Harris’ 16 career interceptions are still a Mississippi State school record. It’s a mark made all the more impressive considering the standout defensive backs that have followed him with the Bulldogs – a lineup that includes fellow first-rounder Emmanuel Forbes and multiple-time Pro Bowler Stephon Gilmore.
Like Cooks, Harris made an immediate splash in the NFL. He recorded 113 tackles, 2 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles in his first pro season to earn selection to the All-Rookie Team. He was named to the Pro Bowl twice in his career, in 2006 and 2007.
Cooks went on to play 15 seasons in the league with the Bears, Colts, Redskins and 49ers, finishing with 755 tackles, 129 pass breakups, 35 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles and 4 touchdowns.
Eric Moulds, WR – No. 24 Overall Pick, 1996 NFL Draft (Buffalo Bills)
The second of 2 Bulldogs chosen in the first round in 1996, Moulds parlayed his All-SEC performance in 1995 into an impressive 12-year career in the NFL.
After starting his professional career as a backup to Andre Reed and Quinn Early, he emerged as a star in his own right in 1998 by becoming the first Bills receiver to catch 100 passes and setting a team record with 1,368 receiving yards. In 1999, he set an NFL playoff record with 240 receiving yards against the Miami Dolphins.
The picture of consistency, he missed only 6 games in his 10 seasons with the Bills while averaging 78 catches and over 1,000 yards during his 8 seasons as the team’s No. 1 receiving option. His 675 career receptions, 9,096 yards and 48 receiving touchdowns all rank second on Buffalo’s all-time list. In 2009, Moulds was named to the Bills’ 50th Anniversary All-Time team.
What About Dak Prescott?
Legendary QB Dak Prescott, who guided the Bulldogs all the way to No. 1 in the very first College Football Playoff poll in 2014 and broke numerous school records, had to wait a bit longer to hear his name called in the NFL Draft.
Dallas selected Prescott in the 4th Round of the 2016 NFL Draft. His rookie contract was modest (4 years, $2.7 million), but it was well worth the wait.
In 2024, Prescott signed a 4-year extension with the Cowboys for $240 million. More than $230 million of it is guaranteed. That was after his 4-year deal worth $160 million expired in 2024.
Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.
