3 Penn State players land in new ESPN 2024 NFL first round mock draft
Penn State is ready to kick off the 2023 college football season. That also means 2024 NFL mock draft season has arrived, too. Some will roll their eyes at the idea of calling players potential first round draft picks eight months before the next pro selection process begins. But, that’s the way the ecosystem operates, and it’s off and running yet again.
ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller posted his initial stab at predicting which 32 prospects will go off the board first next April in Detroit, Mich. Three Nittany Lions made the cut. Left tackle Olu Fashanu is the first. The preseason All-American and team captain is projected to go at No. 5 overall to the Los Angeles Rams. The NFC West franchise needs to fix its left tackle spot, Miller writes, and he believes the junior who could have left school last season is the right man for the job.
“An evaluator from an AFC team with over 10 years of NFL experience told me this is the deepest tackle group he can remember, and Fashanu is graded as OT1 right now, showing great mobility and quickness,” Miller writes. “A first-year starter in 2022, Fashanu allowed zero sacks and just two pressures.”
Next up is Kalen King. The junior cornerback is hoping to be invited to attend the draft and sit in the green room in his hometown of Detroit. ESPN thinks it’s a possibility. It has the Penn State standout defender going No. 15 overall to the New York Giants. If so, he’d be paired with the team’s first-round pick from this past year’s draft, corner Deonte Banks.
“King opposite Banks would give New York two corners with good size, great speed and plenty of playmaking skills,” Miller writes.
More: Early Look: Penn State’s visitor list for season opener against West Virginia
Last but not least is Chop Robinson. The second-year Nittany Lion and defensive end is right behind King at No. 16 overall to the Denver Broncos.
“Vance Joseph’s 3-4 base defense has arrived in Denver, and with it a need for standup pass-rushers,” Miller writes. “Robinson (6-3, 250 pounds) is an ideal player for that profile. He has impressive first-step speed and the quick footwork to split blockers and win around the edge. Robinson’s 5.5 sacks and 32 pressures last season have scouts already raving about his potential. “The coaches swear he’s a 4.4 or low-4.5 guy [in the 40-yard-dash] and that he’s one of the hardest workers on the team,” said one AFC scout. I
“If those suggested testing numbers hold up, Robinson’s combination of production and potential will shoot him up draft boards next April, and he’d be perfect for a team seeking a young building block at outside linebacker.”
