Thompson, Traore Selected In NFL Draft
April 25, 2026 | Football, Joel Coleman
STARKVILLE – A pair of Mississippi State playmakers have seen their professional football dreams realized.
Wide receiver Brenen Thompson and tight end Seydou Traore each heard their names called in the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday. Thompson, selected by the Los Angeles Chargers, became the first Bulldog receiver to be drafted since Eric Moulds in 1996. The Miami Dolphins' pick of Traore made history as he became first player to ever be drafted via the NFL's International Player Pathway Program.
Thompson was picked in the fourth round and is among the most explosive players in this year's entire draft class. The Spearman, Texas, native wowed at the NFL Combine earlier this year. He posted an event-best 40-yard dash time of 4.26 seconds.
It came as little surprise to those who saw Thompson's skillset this past season in Starkville. In one year with the Bulldogs, following stops at Texas and Oklahoma earlier in his career, Thompson shined under MSU head coach Jeff Lebby.
In 2025, Thompson set the State single-season receiving record with 1,054 yards – a total that also made him the first Bulldog ever to lead the Southeastern Conference in receiving yardage. Thompson became only the fourth Bulldog in history with a campaign of 1,000 yards or more.
The standout season allowed Thompson to finish his collegiate career with 84 receptions for 1,557 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Traore was a fifth-round selection. The London, England, native shined at State the last couple of seasons, and as a raw talent who only started playing 11-on-11 football in 2020, might very well have his best playing days ahead of him.
For his collegiate career, which also included playing time at Arkansas State, Traore had 131 receptions, 1,482 yards and 10 touchdowns. Most of that production came at Mississippi State, where over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Traore totaled 69 receptions for 728 yards and six scores.
