This year's draft was a very good one for Penn State football, as eight former Nittany Lions were selected, including a first-round pick in Jahan Dotson. After Dotson, defensive end Arnold Ebikete, safety Jaquan Brisker, linebacker Brandon Smith, kicker/punter Jordan Stout, cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields, offensive tackle Rasheed Walker, and linebacker/defensive end Jesse Luketa were all drafted in that order. Penn State also remained active in the form of undrafted free agents (UDFAs), the most notable being linebacker Ellis Brooks signing with the Green Bay Packers. Four other players were also signed with more possibly coming before the start of training camps.
Jahan Dotson was undeniably Penn State’s most exciting player last year. He made countless impressive catches and was electric after the catch. Dotson’s elite performance last season gave the Washington Commanders the confidence to pick him earlier than most expected at number sixteen. Treylon Burks out of Arkansas was still on the board when Dotson was picked, and it was certainly a surprise when Dotson was chosen ahead of him. Dotson was rumored to be one of the many players that were projected to be first-round picks but slipped into the second round. Despite these rumblings, the Commanders picked Dotson at number sixteen, and with their strategy of running lots of four-receiver sets, he is poised for a great rookie season.
Arnold Ebikete and Jesse Luketa were taken in the second and seventh rounds, respectively, and both have the potential to emerge as swiss army knife players for their teams. Ebikete, who was drafted by the Falcons, is currently listed as their starting weak side linebacker, but he could also excel as an edge rusher as he did at Penn State. The Falcons picked in the top ten for a reason- they don’t have a very good team. Ebikete is not the most refined player in the world, but with his raw talent, it is a good bet that he will be on the field helping the Falcons' weak defense make plays. For the Cardinals, Jesse Luketa is in a similar position but not the same. His skill set also allows him to play weak side linebacker while rushing the quarterback, but as opposed to Ebikete, he is buried on the depth chart behind lots of talented players. Luketa is currently listed at third on the Cardinals depth chart at weak side linebacker and is not listed at defensive end. The Cardinals run a 3-4 defensive system with three defensive linemen and four linebackers, so Luketa’s best chance of getting on the field will be in “46” sets designed to stop the run.
The third Penn State player to come off the board was safety Jaquan Brisker. He was taken by the Bears with the 48th overall pick, and considering how much their secondary struggled to contain wide receivers last season, Brisker should see considerable playing time. Brisker could be the solution to a long-standing problem for the Bears which is figuring out who will be their long-term starting strong safety across from Eddie Jackson. With his ability to defend the run and overall versatility, Brisker could be that guy for the foreseeable future.
The final player that could contend for a starting spot is kicker/punter Jordan Stout. Picked by the Ravens at 130 overall, he will definitely not be their starting kicker, as Justin Tucker has that job locked up. Fortunately, Stout is the only punter currently rostered for Baltimore. Stout picked up full-time punting duty at Penn State as a junior and quickly developed into one of the best in college football. From what he has shown in college, Stout certainly has the ability to be an elite NFL punter. The Ravens seem to share that confidence, and he will likely be the week one starting punter.
The other Penn State players to be picked will likely be depth pieces, at least for their rookie season. Those players are linebacker Brandon Smith, cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields, and offensive tackle Rasheed Walker. Overall, it was a great week for the Nittany Lions, and many of these players will have long successful careers in the NFL.
