Predicting where each Penn State football player will go in the 2022 NFL Draft
Penn State football is hoping to do something it hasn’t since 1996 this weekend: Have 10 players selected in a single NFL Draft.
Six Nittany Lions went off the board in 2021 and five did the year before that. But, you have to stretch all the way back to when lineman Jeff Hastings and Andre Johnson were both first-round picks to find the last time Penn State hit dobuble-digits.
Will it happen this year? We make our predictions below.
Who could go on Day 1?
Right now, we only have one former Penn State player in this category: Receiver Jahan Dotson.
Entering Thursday, the consensus is that he will go off the board with one of the first 32 selections. However, media mock drafts are all over the place in terms of which team will actually select the All-American.
While being fully aware that trades or unexpected picks could totally blow things up, our best guess right now is that Dotson will land with the Kansas City Chiefs. The AFC side currently has two picks at No. 29 and No. 30. One figures to be used on a receiver. Expect Dotson, if he’s still on the board, to be it. But, don’t be shocked if he goes to the Green Bay Packers a few picks earlier.
How many Penn State players will go on Day 2?
Here’s where things get tricky.
It’s not crazy to suggest that Penn State defensive end Arnold Ebiketie and/or safety Jaquan Brisker could sneak into the tail-end of the first round. However, we’re betting against it based on all that we know at the moment.
Ebiketie is going to make some team thrilled with his explosiveness off the edge and potential ability to play standup linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. He should go early in the second round. We’ll predict he lands at No. 37 overall to the Houston Texans. The AFC South franchise has former Penn State receiver DaeSean Hamilton on its roster. Adding Ebiketie would equal some Lions flavor on its defense, as well.
As for Brisker, three NFC East teams who currently have safety needs make sense in the middle of round two. While he could go to the Commanders, Eagles, or Cowboys, we’re going with Dallas at No. 56.
Finally, don’t be shocked if one of these Penn State stars finds his way into the first round. And, it’d be pretty surprising if either falls out of Round 2.
Round 3 is also held on Day 2 (Friday). It’s possible a couple of Penn State players could land there. But, we’re turning out attention to Day 3 with the rest of the draft-eligible Lions.
Lions will see most players go on Day 3
Rounds 4-7 will be held in Las Vegas, Nev., on Saturday. The first pick will be made at Noon ET.
We expect either corner Tariq Castro-Fields or linebacker Brandon Smith to be the first Penn State player off the board in Round 4.
However, we’d be remiss not to note that plenty of media mock drafts see TCF as a third-round pick. Our question about that, however, pertains to how often he was unavailable in 2020 plus some injury concerns. Fair or not, NFL teams have found worse reasons to send a prospect down their board. So, with all of that said, we’ll wear egg if Castro-Fields goes sooner then Saturday. All told, though, we’ll send the Penn State defender to the Denver Broncos at No. 116 overall.
We’re sending Smith, then, to the linebacker-needy New England Patriots at No. 127 overall.
Moving into Round 5, another former Penn State player who could end up just about anywhere to the surprise of no one is tackle Rasheed Walker. His potential is immense but his production was questionable in college. However, someone will take him here on value alone. We’ll go with the Chicago Bears at No. 148 overall.
Next off the board will be versatile former Penn State defender Jesse Luketa. His ability to play rush end and linebacker at the next level while also being capable of filling a special teams role will help him find a home sooner than some expect. The New York Jets at No. 163 is our prediction as to where that home will be.
Finally, we do believe specialist Jordan Stout will be drafted. However, predicting where a punter/kicker will go is like guessing the exact number of rain drops to fall during a hurricane. It’s impossible. But, in the spirit of trying, we’ll send the former Penn State Nittany Lion to the Cleveland Browns in Round 7 with the No. 223 overall selection.
Full list of Penn State NFL Draft predictions
WR Jahan Dotson – Round 1, No. 28 overall, Green Bay Packers
DE Arnold Ebiketie – Round 2, No. 37 overall, Houston Texans
S Jaquan Brisker – Round 2, No. 56 overall, Dallas Cowboys
CB Tariq Castro-Fields – Round 4, No. 116 overall, Denver Broncos
LB Brandon Smith – Round 4, No. 127 overall, New England Patriots
OT Rasheed Walker – Round 5, No. 148 overall, Chicago Bears
DE Jesse Luketa – Round 6, No. 163 overall, New York Jets
P/K Jordan Stout – Round 7, No. 227 overall, Cleveland Browns
Penn State will have only eight players picked, by out projections. But, don’t be surprised to see Ellis Brooks, Derrick Tangelo, or Eric Wilson go late. And, more than the number listed above will get a NFL camp shot, at minimum, before all is said and done.
