BREAKING: MSU wide receiver Jalen Nailor selected in the 6th round
Michigan State fans are going to get multiple chances per year to watch wide receiver Jalen Nailor after the junior was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
Nailor was selected No. 191 overall, and he joins a loaded wide receiver room that already features stars Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. As the Vikings are a divisional opponent for the Detroit Lions, local MSU fans will get to see Nailor in a Minnesota uniform at least twice per year.
One of quarterback Payton Thorne's favorite targets this past season, Nailor was the second-leading receiver for the Spartans in 2021, tallying 37 receptions for 695 yards and six touchdowns. The redshirt junior's 18.8 yards per reception led the team.
What makes Nailor's numbers even more impressive is the fact that he only played in eight and a half games for Michigan State. After getting off to an excellent start to his season, Nailor was injured against rival Michigan, missing the second half of the game against the Wolverines and the next four games for the Spartans.
Despite this, Nailor was still an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by the conference's media.
The redshirt junior returned for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl however, and reminded everyone how dynamic he can be by grabbing eight catches for 108 yards against Pittsburgh.
Unfortunately, injuries were part of Nailor's story throughout his Michigan State career. As a freshman in 2018, Nailor missed five games with an undisclosed injury. A foot injury in 2019 limited him to four games as a sophomore, though Nailor was able to redshirt.
Nailor's only complete season came in 2020, when Michigan State's schedule was limited to seven games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, when healthy, Nailor proved himself time and again as a dynamic weapon for the Spartans.
Playing in 28 games, with 21 starts, over four years in East Lansing, Nailor compiled 86 receptions for 1,454 yards and 12 touchdowns over his career with the Spartans, averaging 16.9 yards per catch.
This past season, in a game against Rutgers, Nailor had five catches for 221 yards, the fourth-most single-game receiving yards in Spartan history. He had touchdown receptions of 63, 63 and 65 yards in the first half of that game against the Scarlet Knights.
Nailor's ability to take the top off an opponent's defense earned him the nickname of "Speedy" while at Michigan State. He ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, and finished in the Top 10 among receivers in several drills at the NFL Combine.
That speed allowed Nailor to make an impact with the Spartans in more ways than just as a receiver. Nailor had 17 carries for 163 yards and a rushing touchdown at Michigan State, and also was a part of the return game with nine kick returns for 179 yards and eight punt returns for 48 yards.
Nailor finished his Spartan career with 1,844 all-purpose yards and 13 total touchdowns. He had two years of eligibility remaining at Michigan State, one via his redshirt season and another due to the bonus year of eligibility awarded by the NCAA due to COVID-19. Instead, Nailor chose to being his professional career.
Now, alongside Minnesota's Jefferson and Thielen, Nailor will help form one of the most dangerous wide receiver corps in the National Football League. He also joins Michigan State alums Kirk Cousins and Kenny Willekes with the Vikings.
