Mississippi State Well-Represented on NFL Top 100 List

More Bulldogs on list than Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma, Florida State and Ole Miss

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) talks to the media during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night. / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State fans won’t find much join in any preseason predictions or all-anything teams, but there is one bit of offseason news they can celebrate.

The final 10 players of the 2024 NFL Top 100 Players list were revealed Friday night and former Bulldog and back-to-back Super Bowl champion Chris Jones was ranked as the sixth best player in the league. It’s a four-spot increase from last year’s list and not surprising. Jones racked up 10. 5 sacks, 39 quarterback pressures, 29 quarterback hits and 12 tackles for a loss enroute to collecting his third Super Bowl ring.

However, his impact on the field can’t always be seen in the stats. Here’s what NFL.com’s official list said about Jones:

“What makes Jones so impressive is the seemingly effortless way in which he causes havoc for opposing linemen, which he can produce from anywhere across the defensive line. His play recognition is superb, and his knack for batting down passes at the line of scrimmage makes him even more of a nuisance for quarterbacks.”

Most interesting to Mississippi State fans is that four of the top 100 players in the NFL (Jones, Dak Prescott, Montez Sweat and Jeffrey Simmons) played in Starkville, which is the fifth-most amongst schools represented on the list. Unsurprisingly, Alabama has the most former players on the list with nine (or 10 if you include Jalen Hurts). Ohio State, Notre Dame and LSU are in a three-way tie for second place with each having five former players on the list.

That means there are more MSU players on the list than powerhouses such as Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma, Florida State and Clemson. It’s also more than Texas A&M and the Bulldogs’ instate rival, Ole Miss (both have three).

So, in at least one ranking, Mississippi State fans will get to see their team in the top five.