How Michigan State Is Becoming the Big Ten's New NFL Talent Factory

When Trae Waynes ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at Monday's NFL Scouting Combine, he cemented his status as the top cornerback in this year's draft, ensuring a second consecutive year that Michigan State would have a cornerback selected in the draft's first round.

But that's not all Waynes solidified for his alma mater.

The Spartans' rise to national prominence has coincided with the construction of a steady pipeline being built between East Lansing and the NFL. Michigan State alums now litter professional football, including three starting quarterbacks last season and the NFL's second-leading rusher.

A potential top-10 pick, Waynes will be the next former Spartan to join the NFL ranks, but with five other Michigan State players invited to last weekend's combine, he won't be alone. MSU has produced pro prospects on a consistent basis dating back to the 1930s but never at the rate it has in recent years, with Mark Dantonio taking the Spartans program to a new level.

"When you get a Michigan State kid coming off that defense," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said as he evaluated Waynes on a conference call, "he’s got [to be] a tough kid that will tackle that’s been well-coached."

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Since Dantonio arrived in East Lansing in 2007, the Spartans have had 17 players selected in the draft, including six players picked in 2012. In 2014, Darqueze Dennard became the first Michigan State player to be selected with a first-round pick since the Detroit Lions took Charles Rogers second overall in 2003, but you can count on a heavy presence of Spartans in the first round of the draft in the coming years.

Not only is Waynes a lock to land in the draft's first 32 picks this spring, but early 2016 projections have Michigan State with three likely first-round picks. Quarterback Connor Cook could very well be the first signal-caller taken in next year's draft, while defensive end Shilique Calhoun and offensive tackle Jack Conklin each currently possess first-round grades, according to ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.

"He was on my radar because I thought maybe he would come out, he had such a high grade. But by going back, you’re looking at the elite of the elite. Jack Conklin has a chance of being a very high first-round pick," Kiper said on a conference call with reporters in January. “Certainly the first offensive tackle off the board.”

Kiper essentially said the same of both Cook and Calhoun, stating that either could have been a first-round pick in 2015 but will only increase their respective draft stocks by returning to Michigan State for an additional season. As for this upcoming draft, the Spartans could see as many as nine players picked in the NFL's annual selection show.

In addition to Waynes, running back Jeremy Langford, safety Kurtis Drummond, linebacker Taiwan Jones and wide receivers Tony Lippett and Keith Mumphery were each invited to participate in last weekend's combine. Defensive end Marcus Rush, punter Mike Sadler and running back Nick Hill are also on the radar of NFL teams and will get the chance to work out in front of scouts at Michigan State's pro day on March 18.

Of the players invited to the combine outside of Waynes, Langford did the most to boost his stock, running a 4.42 40-yard dash—the fastest of any running back in attendance. Kiper previously described Langford as a "fifth- or sixth-round type of guy," but the 6'0", 208-pounder's big weekend could move him to as high as the third or fourth round.

Name	Position	Projected Round
Trae Waynes	CB	1st
Tony Lippett	WR	3rd
Jeremy Langford	RB	3rd-4th
Kurtis Drummond	S	4th-5th
Taiwan Jones	LB	5th
Marcus Rush	DE	7th-FA
Mike Sadler	P	7th-FA
Keith Mumphrey	WR	UDFA
Nick Hill	RB	UDFA

Of course, getting drafted is one thing, but sustaining success at the professional level is another. The Spartans, however, have enjoyed a bit of each in recent years, even from some unlikely sources.

Take for example the case of Brian Hoyer, the starting quarterback in Dantonio's first two seasons in East Lansing who signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2009. After backing up Tom Brady for three seasons and unsuccessful stints with the Steelers and Patriots, Hoyer landed a starting role with the Cleveland Browns, leading the team to a combined 10-6 record in 2013 and 2014 before being benched for Johnny Manziel late last season.

Hoyer, who joined Drew Stanton and Kirk Cousins as MSU alums to start at quarterback in the NFL last season, told Ari Wasserman of Cleveland.com he credits Dantonio's development for his success at the next level.

"Other than Drew, we all played for Coach Dantonio, who I think has done a great job of turning that program around and getting things going there," Hoyer said. "We felt like we really kind of laid the foundation for where they're at right now."

Jason Miller/Getty Images

The same could be said for Pro Bowl running back and 2013 second-round pick Le'Veon Bell, who played for the Spartans from 2010-12 and rushed for 1,361 yards and eight touchdowns for the Steelers in 2014. Last season, Michigan State laid claim to 29 NFL players, according to SportingChart.com.

With big showings expected in each of the next two drafts, that number should only climb as Dantonio continues to establish his program as one of the best in the country at producing pros. The Spartans still have some catching up to do with the likes of Ohio State (54 NFL players in 2014), Wisconsin (43 pros) and Michigan (35 pros), but they are trending in the right direction.

And as Wayne showed on Monday, they aren't showing signs of slowing down anytime soon—literally.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.