Ryan Eckley Becomes First Punter Selected In 2026 NFL Draft

On Saturday, a mere two selections after Matt Gulbin saw his wait end, Ryan Eckley had his name called in the NFL Draft. Ryan Eckley was selected 211^th overall by the Baltimore Ravens. He was the first punter selected during the 2026 NFL Draft.

Eckley becomes the second Spartan taken in the draft, and the 326^th overall. That is good enough for 17^th overall in all-time team draft rankings.

Among those 326 selections, Eckley is only the second Raven, joining Nick Samac who was drafted to Baltimore in the seventh round in 2024. Samac did not appear in a game during his time with the Ravens, but made his debut in 2025, playing 11 games with the Carolina Panthers.

Eckley was a star with the Spartans, averaging over 46.5 yards per punt during his last three seasons. In 2025, he was named the Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year, which is the punter of the year in the Big Ten.

Last season, Eckley led the entire FBS in yards per punt, averaging 48.5 per attempt. He became the rare punter to forgo collegiate eligibility, declaring for the NFL Draft despite having one year of eligibility remaining.

Eckley will become the second punter in the AFC from Michigan State, joining New England Patriot punter Bryce Baringer, the last Spartan to win Big Ten Punter of the Year.

While Eckley is only the second official Spartan to hear his name called, former Spartan EDGE Zion Young also went off the board in the second round after finishing his collegiate career at Missouri.

Eckley’s tackle against Iowa return man Kaden Wetjen (who was selected by Pittsburgh earlier in day three) was featured during his NFL Draft montage.

The Spartan star was a bright spot in a tough season for Michigan State, which led NFL Draft analyst (and Michigan graduate) Rich Eisen to quip, “he did this (punting) a lot against Michigan.”

Now, Eckley heads onto the National Football League, where he will compete with Luke Elzinga, a former Oklahoma punter that has yet to appear in an NFL game.