Previewing Penn State and Day 1 of the NFL Draft: What to expect on Thursday night
The NFL Draft is here, Penn State fans!
Multiple Nittany Lions are looking forward to hearing their name called during the three-day pro selection process that starts tonight in Las Vegas, Nev.
Blue-White Illustrated will have around-the-clock coverage Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We’ll have everything from the first Penn State player to go off the board to the last one with analysis of how each fits with his new team. And, for those who ultimately end up signing undrafted free agent deals, we’ll be on top of those, too.
Today, however, our focus is on Round 1. Here’s everything you need to know.
When does the NFL Draft start?
NFL Network, ABC, and ESPN will all be airing Draft coverage all day long. However, Round 1 kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.
The first 32 picks generally take three-and-a-half to four hours to complete.
Twenty players were selected to attend the draft in person. However, none of them played at Penn State.
That does not mean the Lions will not have anyone go in the first round, of course.
One aside: Here is the full draft schedule courtesy of ESPN:
- Round 1: Thursday at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN, ABC, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network)
- Rounds 2-3: Friday at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, ABC, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network)
- Rounds 4-7: Saturday at noon ET (ESPN with ABC simulcast, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network)
More: Check out On3’s exclusive Draft by Stars data
Will any Penn State players land in Round 1?
There has been lots of talk, analyst intel, and mock draft picks made over the last handful of months. All of it has helped shape our perception of who could land where. But, as has always been the case, anything is possible once the picks start flying.
With all of that said, Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson seems to be the only Lion still with first-round aspirations at this point in time.
The 2022 Consensus Mock Draft from MockDraftDatabase.com slots the former Penn State standout at No. 29 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs. NFL Network’s Charles Davis, then, sees Dotson landing with the Green Bay Packers at No. 22. Pro Football Talk, meanwhile, has the onetime Lion going No. 26 to the Tennessee Titans.
ESPN Sports Analytics says that Green Bay is Dotson’s most likely landing spot. If Dotson goes in the first round as expected, he would be the first Lions receiver to do so since Bryant Johnson went No. 17 overall in 2003.
Penn State coach James Franklin recently raved about Dotson during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.
“He just was so natural catching the ball,” Franklin said. “I’ve had a bunch of wideouts, and he’s probably the most natural guy I’ve had in catching the ball, in terms of being able to contort his body, he just catches the ball effortlessly.
“And it really doesn’t matter where. He just has got fantastic natural hands.”
Who else could slip into the first round?
Two other former Penn State players were previously drawing first-round buzz. That’s no longer the case. However, as noted above, anything is possible.
It’s why we choose to highlight defensive end Arnold Ebiketie and safety Jaquan Brisker here. The 2022 Consensus Mock Draft from MockDraftDatabase.com has the former at No. 37 to the Houston Texans and the latter going No. 49 to the New Orleans Saints. That would make both second-round picks, of course.
ESPN Sports Analytics says Ebiketie’s best first-round chance is to be picked by the Dallas Cowboys at No. 24. However, it does not see a best case for Brisker to go in the first 32 picks, even if he was an All-American.
As always, though, trades and personal preferences can mix up expectations no matter how strong the analytics and intel are.
