Penn State in the NFL: How are former Lions faring after three weeks?

Penn State was showcased extensively on the most recent edition of Monday Night Football. Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys beat Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants 23-16 on the road. But, the latter found the end zone again as he continues to surge early in the 2022 season.

Those were not the only former Nittany Lions in that contest, of course. And, there are numerous onetime members of the Penn State program playing for various teams across the NFL. Three weeks are in the books, which makes now as good of a time as any to take a look at how the team’s alumni are doing in the pros.

Checking in on former Penn State players in the NFL: Offense

Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

Barkley is back. He hasn’t had quite the explosive performances in Week 2 or 3 as he did in the opener when he ran for 164 yards and a score in the Giants’ win over Tennessee, but he did find the end zone in a Monday Night Football loss to Dallas and now has two scores and 317 rushing yards on 53 attempts. 

Ryan Bates, OL, Buffalo Bills

Bates has started all three games and played almost every snap while helping push and protect the Buffalo offense, which is the second-best in the NFL after three weeks.

Nick Bowers, TE, Cincinnati Bengals

Bowers is on the team’s practice squad. He was not elevated to the active roster during the first three weeks.

Jason Cabinda, FB, Detroit Lions

Cabinda is on the team’s physically unable to perform (PUP) list due to an ankle injury.

Dan Chisena, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Chisena is on the team’s practice squad. He was not elevated to the active roster during the first three weeks.

Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders

Dotson and his versatility have been used in a variety of ways to start his rookie season. He caught nine passes for 109 yards over the first three weeks and also hauled in three touchdowns. His best performance came in Week 1, when he scored twice and had three catches fo 40 yards in a Commanders win.

Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers

Freiermuth has logged 149 snaps, which is the most of any Steelers tight end, throughout a 1-2 start. He was targeted late in the team’s Week 3 loss at Cleveland, finishing with five catches for 75 yards. On the season, he’s logged 11 receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown.

More: The weekly rundown: What to make of Penn State after a 4-0 start

Will Fries, OL, Indianapolis Colts

Fries has only been used on special teams so far. He’s a blocker when on the field, of course. He played five snaps in Week 1 and four in Week 3.

Mike Gesicki, TE, Miami Dolphins

Gesicki is trying his best to fit in with Miami’s new offense. But, it does not feature him much. He caught one pass each in weeks one and three but did have a big Week 2, when he netted four catches for 41 yards and a touchdown during a Dolphins win over Baltimore. 

Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccanneers 

Godwin has missed the last two weeks of play due to a hamstring injury. He did overcome a training camp setback to play in the opener, however. Then, he caught three passes for 35 yards in a win over Dallas.

KJ Hamler, WR, Denver Broncos

Hamler has been active for two of Denver’s first three games. However, he has yet to record a catch and played only 41 percent of his team’s snaps in Week 3.

Jesse James, TE, Cleveland Browns

James landed on the team’s injured reserved list after Week 2 due to a bicep injury. Prior to that, he played 18 snaps on offense and 11 on special teams but recorded no counting stats. He is eligible to return later this season.

John Lovett, RB, Carolina Panthers

Lovett is on the team’s practice squad. He was not elevated to the active roster during the first three weeks.

Connor McGovern, OL, Dallas Cowboys

McGovern started Dallas’ opener but went down after seven snaps with an ankle injury. It has been inactive ever since. His return timeline is not immediately clear.

More: Kaytron Allen makes three-straight for Penn State on Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors

Trace McSorley, QB, Arizona Cardinals 

McSorley is the Cardinals’ backup. He did not play in either of the last two weeks. But, he was briefly inserted during a Week 1 loss to Kansas City. He completed two of four passes for 12 yards and also ran three times for 20 yards while also suffering a sack.

Allen Robinson, WR, Los Angeles Rams

Robinson has seven catches for 88 yards and a touchdown during the Rams’ 2-1 start. He has played 90 percent of the team’s offensive snaps to date. 

Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Sanders is being used on about half of the Eagles’ offensive plays as the team rotates through running backs fairly consistently. He has rushed 45 times for 222 yards and a touchdown through three weeks and also caught six passes for 13 yards.

Donovan Smith, OT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

An elbow injury has made Smith inactive for each of the past two weeks. He played just 23 snaps at left tackle in Week 1 before suffering the injury. 

Rasheed Walker, OL, Green Bay Packers

Walker has been inactive during the first three weeks of his NFL career. It’s unclear when the late-round draft pick may see the field in Green Bay.

Checking in on former Lions in the NFL: Defense

Marcus Allen, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Allen has played in all three games this season. All of his time is coming on special teams. He’s received 32 kick and punt coverage snaps but none on the actual Pittsburgh defense. He did recover quickly, though, from an offseason injury. 

Adrian Amos, S, Green Bay Packers

Amos is a key part of the Packers’ defense. He has played 100 percent of the team’s defensive snaps at safety (168) through three weeks. He has netted 11 tackles (one for loss) and a pass breakup so far. 

Troy Apke, S, Washington Commanders

Apke is on the team’s practice squad. He was not elevated to the active roster during the first three weeks.

Jaquan Brisker, S, Chicago Bears

Brisker is off to a hot start at the pro level. He has started his first three games in the NFL and has yet to come off the field at his safety spot. He has 20 tackles (one for loss) and a fumble recover as Chicago sits at 2-1. 

Cam Brown, LB, New York Giants

Brown is a core part of New York’s special teams units. But, he has yet to see any time on defense through three weeks. He has one tackle so far. 

Tariq Castro-Fields, CB, Washington Commanders

Castro-Fields was inactive during the first two weeks of his NFL career. However, in a Week 3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, he played six defensive snaps and three on special teams but recorded no counting stats.

More: Penn State defenders take over our Week Three NFL standouts

Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Atlanta Falcons

Ebiketie is being used on about half of the Falcons’ defensive snaps and also a little bit on special teams. He played a season-high 41 snaps and recorded a tackle in a Week 3 loss to Seattle. He has six tackles (one for loss) and a quarterback hurry to date.

Kevin Givens, DT, San Francisco 49ers

Givens has a bit of a specialized role for the 49ers. He is used on about a third to a half of the team’s defensive snaps. He had four tackles during a Week 2 win over Seattle and has totaled seven overall, four of which have resulted in a loss of yards.

Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Carolina Panthers

Gross-Matos has played 70 percent of Carolina’s defensive snaps through three weeks. He has seven tackles and one quarterback hit to date. 

Grant Haley, S, Los Angeles Rams

Haley made the active roster in Week 3. He made five stops while playing 67 snaps on defense.

Austin Johnson, DT, Los Angeles Chargers

Johnson is playing about half of the Chargers’ defensive plays. He batted down one pass through three weeks and also has four tackles. He has seen some special teams time, as well.

DaQuan Jones, DL, Buffalo Bills

Jones has seven tackles and one quarterback hit through three weeks. He is playing about 65 percent of the Bills’ defensive snaps. He has played a limited special teams role, as well.

Jesse Luketa, LB, Arizona Cardinals

Luketa moved up to the Cardinals’ active roster Tuesday. He could make his NFL debut this week.

More: Penn State bowl projections: Where are the Lions slotted after a 4-0 start?

Carl Nassib, DE, Tampa Bay Buccanneers 

Nassib currently has a limited role in Tampa Bay. He’s played about 20 of the team’s defensive snaps and recorded only one tackle. He’s been in for five special teams plays, as well.

Amani Oruwariye, CB, Detroit Lions

Oruwariye has been active for two of the Lions’ three games to date. He played nearly ever snap in both of the two contests he’s played in. He has 13 tackles (one for loss) and a pass breakup so far.

Odafe Oweh, DE, Baltimore Ravens

Oweh continues to grow as a pass rusher in his second pro season. He has played roughly 80 percent of Baltimore’s defensive snaps and totaled 10 stops, one of which resulted in a loss.

Micah Parsons, LB, Dallas Cowboys

Parsons played despite dealing with an illness in Week 3. He had just one tackle in a win over New York but created havoc and problems for the Giants in numerous ways that did not make the stat sheet. Through three weeks he has 10 tackles (four for loss) and nine quarterback hits. 

John Reid, CB, Seattle Seahawks

Reid landed on the injury reserve list with a groin injury back in August. He is eligible to return in Week 5. There has been no update on his status, however, as of late September.

Nick Scott, S, Los Angeles Rams

Scott is used extensively in the LA defense. He has played about 90 percent of the team’s defensive snaps to date. He’s made 17 tackles and also forced a fumble during a Week 1 loss to Buffalo.

More: Which College Football Playoff tier is Penn State in?

Brandon Smith, LB, Carolina Panthers

Smith has been active for two of his first three NFL games but has not yet earned a snap on defense. He is playing speical teams, though, and has been out on those units for 30 plays to date.

Derrick Tangelo, DT, Atlanta Falcons

Tangelo is on the Falcons’ practice squad. He has not been elevated to the active roster through three weeks.

Shaka Toney, DE, Washington Commanders 

Toney played a season-high 32 snaps on defense in the Commanders’ Week 3 loss to Philadelphia. Prior to that, he was mostly playing special teams, where he’s seen about 70 percent of those units’ snaps. He has four tackles (one for loss) so far.

Penn State has numerous former specialists in the NFL, too

Blake Gillikin, P, New Orleans Saints

Gillikin is the Saints starting punter. He’s averaging about 48 yards per boot on 17 attempts through three weeks. That is 12th best in the NFL. He has forced a league-leading seven fair catches to date.

Robbie Gould, K, San Francisco 49ers

Gould continues chugging along at age 39. He has been perfect on five extra point attempts this year and is four of five in the field goal department. The miss was blocked.

Jordan Stout, P, Baltimore Ravens

Stout is the Ravens’ starting punter. He’s booted the ball 11 times as a rookie for an average of 45 yards per punt.