Former MSU LB signs extension with Texans

Benardrick McKinney was one of the best defensive players to come through Starkville in quite some time. In three seasons as a starter, the 6-foot-4, 260-pound linebacker accumulated 243 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

As a result of that success at Mississippi State, McKinney was then drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft (No. 43 overall). Now, it looks like the Tunica (Miss.) native will be staying in Houston for the foreseeable future.

According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the Texans signed McKinney to a five-year extension on Thursday:

McKinney has been a fixture on the Texans defense ever since he was drafted. In three seasons with the team, he's started 43 of a possible 48 regular season games while racking up 287 tackles and nine sacks.

According to Pro Football Focus, McKinney was ranked No. 24 in the NFL for linebackers last season after finishing with a 79.7 overall grade. His biggest strength has been his ability to be an effective run stopper, however. McKinney checked in with the No. 9 overall grade for linebackers in run defense (88.5).

In other words, McKinney was well-worth the extension he was signed to.