Mississippi State football cornerback Martin Emerson forgoes senior year, declares for NFL draft

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State will have a large hole to fill in the secondary next season.

Cornerback Martin Emerson declared for the 2022 NFL draft, forgoing his senior season for the Bulldogs. The move comes as little surprise, considering the 6-foot-2 junior’s standout campaign. Emerson was named a third-team All-SEC selection from Pro Football Focus.

Emerson earned a 78.4 defensive grade from PFF — the highest-rated Mississippi State defender this year. He finished with 49 tackles and three pass breakups.

Quarterbacks threw the Pensacola, Florida, native’s way 50 times, and he allowed receptions 29 times. His best performance came against Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl, when quarterback Matt Corral threw Emerson’s way five times without a completion.

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“Attending Mississippi State University over the last three years has been nothing short of a dream,” Emerson wrote in a statement posted to Twitter. “They say one of the most important decisions you make in life is choosing the right school, because it will shape your entire future. I’d say that I chose right. The people and the culture at this University have helped shape me into the man that I am today.”

According to ESPN, Emerson is the eighth-best cornerback available in the 2022 NFL draft and the 54th best player overall.

Without Emerson in the fold, Mississippi State still has Emmanuel Forbes, another talented cornerback. Forbes finished behind Emerson for the second-highest PFF grade. Decamerion Richardson could see an increase in playing time, too.

When Emerson missed most of the win against Kentucky because of an early targeting call, Richardson stepped in. Richardson earned a 73.1 coverage grade from PFF this season.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State football CB Martin Emerson declares for NFL Draft