Penn State players in the NFL Draft, plus mailbag: BWI Daily
The 2022 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday night in Las Vegas, so the BWI Daily Edition looks at where Penn State football’s top prospects might land. Draft reporter Dave Eckert joins host and film analyst Thomas Frank Carr to preview the three-night event.
How many Penn State players end up in Round One?
Eckert and T-Frank start with the first round and Penn State’s top trio of prospects. So will Jahan Dotson, Arnold Ebiketie, Jaquan Brisker, or all three of them be selected on Thursday night? Eckert gives his prediction based on what he’s seen from mock drafts and analyst predictions.
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Best NFL system fit for Penn State prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft
Today, we’ll finish looking at the Penn State prospects headed to the 2022 NFL Draft. While most are throwing their thoughts into mock drafts, we’re taking our time to look at which systems, situations, and positions will benefit each Nittany Lions best.
After all, a situation determines success as much as talent.
Jahan Dotson: Spread offense or WR2
Did Jahan Dotson secure himself a spot in the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night? I’m not sure of that, but I am sure that there are receiver-hungry teams at the back half of that round. But which offense would suit Dotson the best? They’re not all built the same, nor are they set up to take advantage of his skills.
A team like Kansas City that runs a spread offense would make a lot of sense. It’s not just that they have one of the two best quarterbacks on the planet (okay, the best), but that offense has several other essential elements. The first of which is size.
Players like tight end Travis Kelce and receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster have proven that they can take on the role of the contested-catch monster and move the chains. That leaves Dotson free to do what he does best; run intermediate routes and shred the middle of the field. Dotson does a superb job of creating space with his speed and precision.
The fear a team like Green Bay should have is that they don’t have a dominant physical presence outside to help with those routes. The Packers run a play-action-heavy system that creates deep shots, and single coverage plays for the boundary receivers. While Dotson is great at getting open deep, he won’t be able to do that on every play. In addition, his contested catch numbers are an issue in his profile, coming down with roughly 42% of his contested catches over the last two seasons per PFF. That isn’t bad, but it’s not the profile to carry a team. Any team that can fit Dotson into an existing ecosystem but does not rely on him to do everything will benefit the most.
