Why does one NFL Draft analyst love the Penn State defensive line?
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah has been evaluating college football players since the early 2000s, first as a pro scout and then as one of the lead Draft analysts for the league’s flagship television network. He knows a good football player when he sees one. And, he also recognizes when a unit is working the way that it should to make things difficult for opponents. And, he saw it with the Penn State defensive line in 2023. The former college quarterback went out of his way to point out not just the effort of Combine invitees Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac but also position coach Deion Barnes and his group as a whole.
“If I was watching an offensive lineman in the Big Ten, Penn State was the first game that I popped on because I wanted to watch him against that front because not only are they really talented with Chop and with Adisa Isaac, but those guys play hard, man,” Jeremiah said on a conference call with reporters last week.
“I don’t know off the top of my head the D-line coach there. I know obviously the history there of having great defensive line coaches, but those guys play really, really hard, and they’re great to evaluate other players against. That was something that stood out watching those Penn State guys.”
It’s extremely high praise considering a player like future top five pick Marvin Harrison Jr., is talked about the same way when it comes to wanting to evaluate cornerbacks by watching them work against the former Ohio State star.
Penn State defensive line set to take shape this spring
The loss of Isaac and Robinson will be hard for Penn State to replace. But, there is plenty of talent waiting in the wings. At end, Dani Dennis-Sutton will become a full-fledged starter. Abdul Carter is going to rush from the edge in 2024. And, Zuriah Fisher and Jameial Lyons, among others, have earned plenty of praise this offseason. Inside, the return of redshirt senior+ tackles D’Von Ellies and Hakeem Beamon bolsters a group that also has senior Coziah Izzard and junior Zane Durant back, as well. There are other players on the roster who will hope to make up ground and earn playing time this fall by doing well this spring and summer.
All told, there should be another deep and talented Penn State defensive line on the field in 2024. And perhaps it will be one Jeremiah can use to evaluate offensive tackles again next winter.
