Penn State puts 10 in new seven-round NFL mock draft
Penn State football has had 46 players go in the NFL Draft since James Franklin took over in 2014. The total is poised to go over 50 this year, with upwards of 10 former Nittany Lions set to be picked. A new seven-round mock draft sets the number exactly at 10 for now, which would be a record in the Franklin era. ESPN analyst Matt Miller is first to market with projections for all 257 selections with the annual event now a month away. Here’s where each former Lion could go in the mind of the longtime draftnik.
The first round locks
For months, draft evaluators and college football experts alike have penciled in former Lions offensive tackle Olu Fashanu and edge rusher Chop Robinson as first-round picks. At this juncture, the pair are all but a lock to become the 41st and 42nd Penn State players to go on the draft’s first day. Most mock drafters send Fashanu to Jacksonville at No. 14. But, Miller has him going a few picks earlier at No. 11 to New England, who he projects will trade back in the Draft.
“This is a talented tackle class, but it’s light on the left side,” Miller writes. “Trading out of No. 3 would mean the Patriots miss out on the top-end quarterbacks in this class, but adding a near-lock at left tackle and exploring alternate QB options is a good team-building play.”
Miller then has Robinson going at No. 29 to Detroit, which is a popular landing spot for the Maryland native.
“The Lions stick to their board,” Miller writes. “In 2023, that meant going running back and off-ball linebacker in Round 1. But I think Detroit targets a premium position this year. Robinson has electric speed (4.48 in the 40) and first-step quickness, getting on offensive tackles right off the snap. His production in college was limited — just four sacks last season — but this is a bet on his burst and potential.”
The Day 2 Penn State hopefuls
Day 2 has usually featured a couple of Penn State going off the board in recent years. Last year, the team had four lettermen go in Rounds 2-3, which is something of a high water mark. This year, Miller projects it to have two players go then, both in Round 3. He sends them both to the Washington Commandeers, slotting end Adisa Isaac to the NFC East team with the No. 67 overall selection and tight end Theo Johnson to it at No. 100.
“Washington needs bodies to replace Montez Sweat and Chase Young,” Miller wrote. “Isaac’s first-step quickness and burst pair perfectly with the power of Darius Robinson , who we projected to Washington in Round 2 of this mock draft.”
Miller adds on Johnson:
“Johnson is a sleeper tight end prospect with fantastic all-around ability and power at 259 pounds. He could very well get TE1 reps here.”
Could Round 5 feature the most former Nittany Lions?
Moving on to Day 3, Miller projects linebacker Curtis Jacobs to be the first former Penn State player off the board during the final day of the selection process. He sends him to San Francisco with the No. 132 overall selection. From there, he projects something of a run on Nittany Lions in Round 5. Here’s the breakdown:
CB Kalen King to Tennessee at No. 146
CB Daequan Hardy to Kansas City at No. 159
DB Johnny Dixon to New Orleans at No. 168
OT Caedan Wallace to Philadelphia at No. 171
OL Hunter Nourzad to Dallas at No. 174
The most discussed member of this group will be King, who fell from a potential first round pick at this time a year ago to practically anywhere on Day 3. We’re also interested to see if Nourzad can secure fifth-round status after an injury kept him from participating in all on-field work leading up to draft day.
