Tackle | Michigan State | Junior

Height: 6 feet, 6 inches | Weight:308 pounds

College stats

2015: started all 12 games he played for the Spartans at left tackle and became the first Michigan State tackle to be named a First Team All-American since Flozell Adams in 1997; credited with 65.5 knockdowns during the regular season (10 games), including 8.5 against Penn State; helped Spartans rush for 203 yards in an upset win over Ohio State

Career:After redshirting as a freshman in 2012, Conklin started 38 of the 39 games he played, including three bowl games. The starts included three at right tackle in 2013, but Conklin primarily played left tackle for the Spartans. He was credited with 55 knockdowns in 2013, garnering multiple Freshman All-American selections. Conklin followed in 2014 by leading the team with 113.5 knockdowns while allowing just 2.5 sacks in a team-high 959 snaps.

Combine results

40-yard dash: 5.00 seconds*

Bench press: 25 repetitions of 225 pounds

Vertical jump: N/A

Broad jump: 8 feet, 7 inches

3-cone drill: 7.63 seconds

20-yard shuttle: 4.57 seconds

*Ranked fourth among offensive linemen at the combine

Profile

Summary: The Michigan native started for his father's team for three seasons in high school, where he also averaged a double-double as a senior in basketball (17.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game) and lettered as a thrower in field events. Despite this all-around athleticism, Conklin received no scholarship offers. The "preferred walk-on" status offered to Conklin by Michigan State, however, proved to be enough of an opportunity for him to run with. He was awarded a scholarship while redshirting in 2012 and emerged as a reliable starter for three seasons. Conklin closed his time on campus as an All-Big Ten First-Team member who helped the Spartans win the conference title in 2015.

Stacking up:NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock and Bucky Brooks are lockstep in ranking Conklin as their third-best tackle in this year's draft class. NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah moved Conklin up four spots to **20th overall** in his list of the top 50 prospects. Jeremiah wrote "Conklin lacks ideal foot speed and bend, but his size, tenacity and awareness will make him a solid starting right tackle at the next level."

Tough talk:In writing the **bio about Conklin** for NFL.com, Lance Zierlein quoted an unnamed NFC North scout with saying, "That is a dude, right there. He was busting up Ohio State in the fourth quarter of that game not because he was more talented than those guys but because he just wanted it more. He's tougher than old beef jerky. He fits in our division."