On day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, a pair of former Michigan State football players heard their names called as they were selected to join NFL franchises. With the 28th pick of the 6th round, #209 overall, center Matt Gulbin was drafted by the Washington Commanders. Two picks later, at #211, punter Ryan Eckley was selected by the Baltimore Ravens. With these draftees, MSU Football continues an impressive run of only having one year in the entire history of the NFL Draft, since 1936, of not having a player drafted (2021).
Matt Gulbin only played for MSU this past season after being a part of the Wake Forest program for four years prior to that. In his lone season in East Lansing, Gulbin started 11 games in the middle of the Spartan offensive line. He missed one game with an injury. His play stood out on an otherwise poor offensive line. He was on the Rimington Trophy watch list as one of the nation’s top centers and he graded out as the top center in the Football Bowl Subdivision according to Pro Football Focus.
The Commanders had Tyler Biadasz as their starting center for the 2025 center, but he signed with the L.A. Chargers this offseason. Biadasz would end up on I.R. for the final two games of the season, at which point Nick Allegretti was moved from RG, where he was splitting time, to fill the open spot. Early projections of the 2026 Washington depth chart have Allegretti as the starting center going into 2026. Matt Gulbin should be able to be the primary backup at center, but he also has versatility to be a guard, as he played that position during his time at Wake Forest. Gulbin should be able to earn a spot on Washington’s final 53-man roster for 2026 as a depth piece.
Ryan Eckley was a highlight reel punter for MSU the last three seasons. In his final year, he led the NCAA with a 48.5 average. We regularly saw his punts get downed inside the opponents’ 5-yard line, displaying that he also had control of his kicks and not just a cannon for a leg. Speaking of that cannon, he has had a punt of at least 60 yards in each of his three seasons as MSU’s starting punter.
His new team, the Baltimore Ravens, had Jordan Stout as their punter last year, but he followed former Ravens Coach John Harbaugh to the New York Giants. A few weeks ago, the Ravens signed another punter, Luke Elzinga. Elzinga has no NFL experience. He played his college ball at Eastern Michigan and Oklahoma, finishing in 2024, but did not make an NFL roster in 2025. This very much feels like a competition that Eckley can win in order to earn a spot on the Ravens regular season roster.
