Michigan State junior cornerback Josiah Scott declares for 2020 NFL Draft

The Michigan State secondary will take another big hit in the 2020 season, as standout junior cornerback Josiah Scott will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft.

This is somewhat surprising, as many expected Scott to return for his senior season. In addition to Scott, the Spartans lose safety David Dowell and cornerback Josh Butler — all three players were starters in the defensive backfield. This leaves MSU with safety Xavier Henderson and cornerback Shakur Brown as the returning starters in the secondary.

The 2020 NFL Draft takes place in Las Vegas on April 23 through April 25, 2020. Scott is currently considered as a Day Three pick, which means he is projected to go somewhere between the fourth and seventh rounds. However, with the NFL Combine, individual workouts and other events all coming up, Scott has a chance to improve his draft stock.

Scott is currently ranked as the No. 28 cornerback prospect by WalterFootball.com and the No. 29 prospect by DraftTek.com. For reference, there were 32 cornerbacks drafted in 2019.

Scott started immediately as a true freshman in 2017, on his way to earning Freshman All-American honors. He was also named All-Big Ten third team and to the Big Ten Network All-Freshman team. He unfortunately missed the majority of his sophomore season with a knee injury, but played five games that season and won Defensive MVP in the Red Box Bowl. His junior season was another strong campaign, as Scott earned All-Big Ten second team honors voted by the media.

Scott finished his junior year with 52 tackles, three interceptions, six passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, according to Pro Football Reference. He finishes his Spartans career with 95 total tackles, six interceptions and 22 passes defended.

His small stature at 5-foot-10, 171 pounds may scare some teams away, but Scott’s excellent ball skills, long-tenured starting experience and leadership skills will all be attractive to NFL scouts.

Meanwhile, linebacker Antjuan Simmons has already stated he’ll be back for his senior season, while wide receiver Cody White is undecided.

Good luck, Josiah!