Penn State NFL Draft buzz: Former Lions among Day 1 'steals'; who will go first on Day 2?
Penn State had its first multi-pick first round for the first time since 2021 on Thursday night. Offensive tackle Olu Fashanu and defensive end Chop Robinson were selected by the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins at Nos. 11 and 21 overall, respectively. Both went sooner than media mock drafts projected them to, but despite that face, CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso calls both players steals for their new AFC franchises.
“Fashanu ticked all the boxes for me and I never watched another offensive tackle quite as clean as him on film,” Trapasso writes. “I, personally, did not see a drop-off in his game from his breakout 2022 to his final season in the Big Ten, and statistically they were close. As a sophomore, Fashanu allowed a pressure every 42 pass-blocking snaps. That figure was a 38 in 2023. Essentially a negligible difference. Does he need to add some weight and play with a touch more patience at the second level? Absolutely. But that’s easily coachable.
“Vitally, Fashanu has unshakable balance and has the athleticism and wherewithal to recover when beaten. Plus, he won’t have to play instantly for Gang Green because of the presence of Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses as the wily veteran bookend tackles the Jets added in free agency.”
More: What they’re saying about Penn State All-American Olu Fashanu going to the New York Jets
On Robinson, Trapasso writes:
“The Dolphins got my EDGE1 at No. 1. Yes, that would categorize a monstrous steal. I’ll start with the one consensus “ding” on Robinson — that he wasn’t productive at Penn State. Come on, now. We all know that disruption is production at any defensive line position, and we can’t solely judge pass rushers on sacks alone. Robinson generated a quarterback pressure on 17.5% of his pass-rushing snaps across three seasons at Maryland and Penn State. Anything above 15% is awesome for an edge rusher. And I like when Robinson wins, it’s in a flash. As referenced above, passers get the ball out so quickly in today’s NFL , defenses need those twitched-up rushers around the corner. Robinson flattens to the quarterback better than anyone in the class.”
Both former Nittany Lions should arrive at their first pro homes today to start the next chapter in their football careers.
Who will go first on Day 2?
Penn State should have at least two players go during Friday’s second round. Defensive end Adisa Isaac and tight end Theo Johnson both grade out to Rounds 2 or 3 in the mind of most. ESPN’s Day 2 mock draft does not have either Lion listed. But, CBS Sports’ does. It sends Isaac to Atlanta with the No. 43 overall pick in Round 2 and projects Johnson to the Indianapolis Colts with the No. 82 pick in Round 3.
All told, it’s a safe bet to say Isaac will go first this evening once the second day of the NFL Draft starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, NFL Network, and both outlet’s streaming services.
