The Mississippi State football team is off to a great start this season. With a record of 4-0, the Dogs are currently ranked No. 21 in the AP top 25.
But the college game is not the only level at which the Bulldogs are experiencing success. State has some former players in the NFL who are really playing well and making an impact for their teams on Sundays.
As a matter of fact, this past week’s primetime NFL games featured three Bulldogs. Kyle Love of the Patriots and Pernell McPhee of the Ravens played Sunday night, and K.J. Wright of the Seahawks played Monday.
 There are currently 15 players who played at MSU on NFL rosters in the 2012 season. Most of those players played for MSU recently, as the amount of players representing MSU in the NFL is larger than previous years. State has been producing better talent over the past few seasons than it has in some time.
Of the 15 players in the NFL, 10 played under Dan Mullen between 2009 and 2011. Those players are Love, McPhee, Wright, Vick Ballard, Jamar Chaney, Fletcher Cox, Anthony Dixon, Charles Mitchell, Derek Sherrod and Chris White, all of whom are in their third season or less.
This points to how much stronger the MSU football program has become under Mullen. I think the coach is doing a great job growing the football program and making the Bulldogs a more competitive team in the SEC.
Of those 10 players, I believe Love, McPhee and Wright to be the best of the bunch in the NFL right now.
Love has found a permanent starting role on the New England Patriots as their staring DT and is a big reason why they now feel comfortable running a 4-3 defense after years of running a 3-4 defense.
I have seen some of the Patriots’ first three games this year, and Love’s play on the interior of D-Line stands out.  He is constantly getting good penetration at the point of attack to disrupt the run game. Also, he appears to be making strides as a pass rusher, putting more and more pressure on opposing QBs.
McPhee starts for the Baltimore Ravens at defensive end and has become a valuable peace of that defense. McPhee is a prototypical 3-4 end with good size and athleticism for his position. He can rush the passer from the inside and has shown he is solid against the run.
Wright is the only other starting player of this bunch. He plays outside linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks, and so far, he looks really good in that role for a defense which has emerged as one of the best in the league. He has 25 tackles in three games this season, including 11 in Monday night’s game against the Packers.
The rest of the players play reserve roles at the moment for their teams. Dixon is in his third season with the San Francisco 49ers, while Chaney is in his third season with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Ballard is a rookie with the Indianapolis Colts, and Mitchell is a rookie with the Atlanta Falcons. Sherrod is in his second season with Green Bay, but he is currently on the injured list recovering from a broken leg.
White is in his second season with the Buffalo Bills, and Cox is a rookie with the Eagles. Cox shows great promise of one day becoming a dominant player.
I expect good things from these players as their careers continue to progress in the NFL. I also expect the number of MSU players in the NFL to keep increasing as the MSU football team continues to improve and achieve more success.