Sources: Miss. State LB McKinney considered lock to enter NFL draft
Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney is considered a lock to enter the 2015 NFL draft, according to multiple sources familiar with the underclassman's thinking.
McKinney's camp has begun taking meetings with agents in an effort to vet potential representatives, sources said. The redshirt junior requested a draft grade from the NFL draft advisory board last week, the Clarion Ledger (Miss.) reported.
If media draftnik projections are correct, that grade is likely a first-round one. As 6-foot-5, 245-pound inside linebacker lauded for his speed, McKinney led the No. 8 Bulldogs with 61 total tackles, eight of them for a loss. He also had 3.5 sacks.
An AFC college scout told NFL.com's Albert Breer in November that McKinney projected as "Rolando McClain or poor man's Brian Urlacher." They were each top-10 picks in their respective draft years.
McKinney's final game as a Bulldog could come Dec. 31 against Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.
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