Tag: Connor Heyward

Mel Kiper Jr. gives praise to Michigan State football FB Connor Heyward

Connor Heyward “will be getting a lot of buzz” according to ESPN’s draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.

Connor Heyward has absolutely excelled throughout the NFL Draft process this offseason. Heyward made the change from running back to tight end before the 2021 football season, and excelled for the Spartans in that role. Now, as he hopes to take a step towards the next level, Heyward will have to blend the skills he has at both positions to gain a prominent role in professional football.

Heyward will be classified as a fullback, but as Spartan fans know, he can play a lot of different roles on an offense which should garner him a lot of looks from NFL franchises.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

Kenneth Walker III, Connor Heyward named to NFL All-Combine team

Kenneth Walker III, Connor Heyward named to NFL All-Combine team

Kenneth Walker III and Connor Heyward (and Jalen Nailor, really) did Michigan State football fans proud over the weekend as they impressed in a big way at the 2022 NFL draft combine. For their efforts, Walker and Heyward were both named to the 2022 All-Combine Team.

Walker, of course, dazzled scouts with his top-3 speed for a running back, topping out at 4.38 in the 40-yard dash, and Heyward showed everyone his insane versatility.

You can see the full teams below:

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

How Michigan State football players performed at the 2022 NFL combine

How Michigan State football players performed at the 2022 NFL combine

Michigan State football has three players currently participating in the 2022 NFL draft combine in Kenneth Walker III, Jalen Nailor, and Connor Heyward.

Below, we will be tracking their NFL combine results.

 

WATCH: Michigan State football’s Jalen Nailor and Connor Heyward run 40-yard dash at NFL combine

WATCH: Michigan State football’s Jalen Nailor and Connor Heyward run 40-yard dash at NFL combine

Michigan State football currently has three players looking to impress NFL scouts at the 2022 NFL draft combine, and two of those players, Jalen Nailor and Connor Heyward, did their all-important 40-yard dash on Thursday.

You can watch them run and see their times below.

Jalen Nailor:

Connor Heyward:

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Tight end standouts from the first day of scouting combine drills

These five tight ends helped their draft stock the most during the first drills of the 2022 scouting combine.

There may not be a first-round tight end in this draft class, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a Pro Bowl starter at the position in the later rounds. The 49ers stole George Kittle in the fifth round of the 2016 draft out of Iowa, the Ravens got Mark Andrews in the 2018 draft out of Oklahoma, and theChargers got Hunter Henry in the second round of the 2016 draft out of Oklahoma.

So, it’s important to watch this year’s class of tight ends as they go through their combine drills, and here are the guys who stood out as those drills got underway on Thursday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Michigan State football players at the NFL Combine

Check out which MSU players were invited to the NFL combine

The 2022 NFL Draft is right around the corner and Spartan graduates are looking to hear their names get called. A key step to getting drafted is being invited to, and performing well, at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

The NFL scouting combine allows for players to show their athleticism and some of their skills that will give NFL teams and scouts measurables to work off of and decide who they plan to draft. The combine will take place from March 1st to the 7th.

Take a look at the Spartans that have been invited to participate at the combine:

2022 Chiefs NFL draft prospects: Group 22

Our latest group of 2022 NFL draft prospects to watch for the #Chiefs covers the @seniorbowl

College football all-star game season will soon come to a close, but we’ve got one more game to cover. This time we’re looking at the premier game with the 2022 Senior Bowl. This game will take place on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. in Mobile, Alabama. The game features the best-of-the-best senior prospects in college football.

The 2021 NFL season was one of the first years since Brett Veach became general manager that the Kansas City Chiefs did not draft a player from the Senior Bowl. That’s likely to change in this upcoming draft.

Our twenty-second group of prospects includes a corner with roots in Kansas City, a dominant interior defensive lineman, a small-school edge rusher and an Andy Reid-style H-back.

Jalen Nailor, Connor Heyward invited to NFL combine

Jalen Nailor and Connor Heyward have been invited to the NFL scouting combine

It was no secret that Kenneth Walker was headed to Indianapolis for the NFL combine to show off his athleticism and skills, but he will now be joined by a couple of his fellow Spartans. Jalen Nailor and Connor Heyward were notified that they were set to be invited to participate in the NFL Combine this spring.

An invitation to the NFL scouting combine is a huge step towards getting drafted in the NFL draft. If a player is not invited to the combine, their odds of getting drafted drop exponentially. Jalen Nailor and Connor Heyward have been given an amazing opportunity to showcase what they can bring to the National Football League.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

Michigan State football tight end Connor Heyward to play in 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl

Michigan State tight end Connor Heyward to play in 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl

[mm-video type=video id=01fn1xhjnybe44ch1e4n playlist_id=01eqbz825g32p3akwt player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fn1xhjnybe44ch1e4n/01fn1xhjnybe44ch1e4n-e41c6db6b1cd5d39b80f8b17b4918e9e.jpg]

What a career resurgence for Connor Heyward. Heyward started his career as a running back with Michigan State football, almost left via the transfer portal, then came back to the program under Mel Tucker as a tight end, a role he has excelled in. Now, Heyward will have the honor in participating in the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl, which is a major stepping stone towards the NFL draft.

Heyward hasn’t put up crazy numbers this year, but he does have 26 receptions for 229 yards and a touchdown and has shown that he can make big catches and run for extra yards. Even if he isn’t drafted, I do think he will get some solid looks from NFL rosters in the future.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

MSU tight end Connor Heyward speaks on new position, team morale, and keys to success

MSU tight end Connor Heyward speaks on new position, team morale, and keys to success

I sat down with MSU former TE Connor Heyward and talked about MSU Football’s current season under Mel Tucker.

Q1: How have you adapted from playing running back your entire career to now playing tight end?

Heyward: It has been an awesome transition for myself and for the team. At first, it took me a while to master the small details at my new position, but I feel more comfortable than ever in my new role.

Q2: How is the team morale coming off of the teams first loss of the season?

Heyward: Coming off of our first loss, I feel like our team has come together more and we learned so much from it. We now know what it takes to win every single week and know that we can never let up no matter who we are playing.

Q3: What has been the key to the teams success this season?

Heyward: The key to our success has been everyone knowing their role and performing it to the best of their ability. Myself along with a few other guys are on the leadership council for the team and I think we have done a great job of showing the younger guys what we need to do day in and day out in order to be successful.