Jack Conklin became Michigan State’s third first-round NFL Draft choice in as many years when the Tennessee Titans made him the No. 8 pick overall.

Tennessee traded up in the draft to select Conklin, acquiring Cleveland’s pick in a draft-night deal in hopes of shoring up pass protection for prized QB Marcus Mariota.

Conklin is the highest Michigan State draft pick of the Mark Dantonio era, and Michigan State’s highest since Charles Rogers went No. 2 to the Detroit Lions in 2003.

Conklin becomes Michigan State’s third-straight first-round selection, joining cornerbacks Darqueze Dennard in 2014 (No. 24 overall by Cincinnati) and Trae Waynes in 2015 (No. 11 overall by Minnesota). It marks the program’s longest streak since producing first-round selections in six consecutive NFL Drafts from 1986-91. In addition, he becomes the first Spartan offensive lineman to be picked in the first round since Tony Mandarich in 1989 (No. 2 overall by Green Bay). Conklin is the highest drafted Spartan in the head coach Mark Dantonio era.

“Zero red flags, he was one of the 10 players you could argue is the best player in the entire draft,” Mel Kiper Jr. said during the ESPN telecast of the draft. “He is a great athlete with long arms. He is a throwback. He went up against a lot of top players and did a really good job. He is a guy that is going to bloody your nose, get after you, he is going to be a great run blocker and he will be more than adequate as a left tackle in pass protection, or you could move him to right tackle. You have a lot of options with a guy like Jack Conklin.”

“I think he is the No. 1 offensive lineman, hands down, in this draft,” said ESPN analyst Jon Gruden. “This kid is nasty. He can play left tackle, right tackle, he can play guard. He is going to be an outstanding Tennessee Titan. If you like nastiness and finishing and people that can thump you, you like Conklin. I love this pick. Way to go Tennessee. They made a great trade and it paid off for them. That’s good business.”

Conklin, who announced his decision to forgo his senior season on Jan. 6, becomes MSU’s 36th all-time first-round selection, including its 25th since the inception of the common NFL Draft in 1967.

Michigan State has had at least once player chosen every year since the inception of the common NFL Draft in 1967.

A three-year starter, Conklin helped the Spartans to a combined record of 36-5, including back-to-back bowl victories over Stanford in the 2014 Rose Bowl and Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic as well as an appearance in the 2015 College Football Playoff Semifinal against Alabama.

The 6-foot-6, 308-pound Conklin earned All-America honors from Sporting News (first team), USA TODAY (first team), Associated Press (second team), FWAA (second team), Walter Camp Football Foundation (second team), Phil Steele (third team) and SI.com (honorable mention).

A first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media, Conklin was named Spartan Offensive Lineman of the Week a team-best four times (Western Michigan, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio State) during the regular season. Although he missed two games (Purdue, Rutgers) with a leg injury, Conklin still collected 65.5 knockdowns and graded out a winner in eight of his 10 regular-season games.

“Jack Conklin is a gifted athlete, who embodies all of the qualities of the ideal left tackle,” Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio said. “He’s big, strong, quick and athletic. A two-time All-Big Ten selection, Jack became a dominant left tackle. He’s an excellent pass-blocker, but he’s also extremely physical in the run game. He's an intelligent player, who runs extremely well for his size. Jack was an impact player in our starting lineup for the last three years, and his toughness permeated the entire offensive line.

“There's no doubt that he'll be an outstanding tackle at the next level. He's well prepared to transition into the next chapter of his life, and we wish him nothing but the best as he chases his dream of playing in the NFL. He's not only been a major contributor over the last three seasons, but he's also been a tremendous ambassador for our football program.”

Conklin shook hands with Michigan State offensive line coach Mark Staten on his way to the podium to hold up a Titans jersey.

“Jack Conklin is a hardworking, tough, dedicated player,” Staten said. “There’s nothing that ‘Jack-John’ won’t accomplish when he puts his mind to it. I remember the spring of his red-shirt freshman year when he put on his O-line goal sheet that he wanted to be a first-team Freshman All-American and he hadn’t even secured a starting position yet. Three years later, he added first-team All-America honors to his resume, and now, we can call him a first-rounder.”

“Congratulations to Jack!” MSU co-offensive coordinator Jim Bollman said. “He’s obviously blessed with great athleticism for his size, but his competitiveness and work ethic have allowed him to develop into a player of this level. Those same qualities will continue to serve him as he matures in the next level. He’s a great human being, and it's always a pleasure to see good people have success. We wish Jack the best of luck in Tennessee.”