Analyzing each Penn State draft pick's fit with their new team

Over the last three days, six former Nittany Lions heard their names called during the 2023 NFL Draft. Below, we take a look at how each former Nittany Lion fits with their new team, giving a grade for their fit based on the system and depth chart as well as ceiling and floor projections for each player.

As more players are drafted or if any Penn State players sign as undrafted free agents, we'll add them below as well.

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Porter Jr was looking to be the first Penn State defensive back ever drafted in the first round, unfortunately for both him and the Nittany Lions, that didn't come to fruition this week. Instead of going in the first round, Porter Jr was selected with the first pick of the second round on Friday evening by the Pittsburgh Steelers, his hometown team and the franchise that his dad famously played for, for most of his career.

One reason that Porter Jr. may have fallen is simply scheme fit. Porter Jr. fits better in man coverage schemes, so teams who run primarily zone and ask their corners to play off-man quite a bit would have a hard time fitting Porter Jr. into their scheme. While Pittsburgh's scheme isn't a 100% fit for Porter Jr, it's one that he's going to be a great addition to the Steelers.

READ: Penn State's Joey Porter Jr selected in second round by Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers when running man coverage last season struggled, now when in man coverage they're going to have a cornerback who excels in press-man schemes with excellent length. This is going to be huge for the Steelers in a division and conference that has plenty of big-play wide receivers. He has the length and speed to stay with almost all opposing wide receivers. His struggles in off-man coverage are going to keep him off the field a bit but he'll make up for those areas with the promise he brings in press-man coverage as well as his ability to play several zone coverages at a quality level as well.

It's been a while since the Steelers' have had an elite man-coverage cornerback and Porter Jr has an opportunity to fulfill that need immediately.

Fit Grade: A

Ceiling Projection: All-pro cornerback

Floor Projection: Trustworthy rotational corner that specializes in man coverage

Anyone familiar with Doug Pederson knows how much Dougie P as he's affectionately called loves his tight ends. While we were surprised to see Strange go this high, it wasn't a shock by any means that he was a day-two selection. As the draft process went on, Strange's name kept gaining more and more buzz, ultimately leading to his second-round selection on Friday.

Last season, the Jagaurs' primary wide receiver was Evan Engram who had a breakout season recording 73 receptions for 766 yards and four touchdowns. He's not going to overtake Engram as the Jaguars' primary pass catcher at the position, that is for sure, at least not anytime soon. That being said, Strange will be looked upon to be more of a blocking tight end for the Jaguars, something he was asked to do quite a bit at Penn State, recording 33 pass-blocking snaps and nearly 300 run-blocking snaps.

If Strange is going to be a consistent contributor at the NFL level, his run blocking will have to improve, and Doug Pederson as well as Jaguars tight end coach Richard Angulo must be confident that will be possible. Over his 298 run-blocking snaps this past season, Strange was up-and-down for the most part but did improve as the season went on. Overall, Pro Football Focus gave him a 62.2 run-blocking grade. At the NFL level, Strange is going to be facing bigger and stronger opposing defensive linemen and even some linebackers on a consistent basis. It will be intriguing to see how much he can improve on his run-blocking skills. As a pass blocker, however, Strange has always been quite solid. Over 122 pass-blocking opportunities with the Nittany Lions, he only allowed one quarterback sack and three hits.

READ: Penn State's Brenton Strange and Juice Scruggs drafted in second round

That all being said, Strange's biggest impact will be in the passing game when given opportunities. Throughout his career, Strange was targeted just 89 times but brought in 69 receptions for 756 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has strong hands and rarely drops passes with five over the course of his career.

Overall, no matter who rafted Strange was doing so almost entirely based on projections. The West Virginia native rarely got a chance to be a primary pass catcher for the Nittany Lions but when the ball was thrown his way, he was a quality pass catcher for the Nittany Lions and was consistent. He is also is a tremendous athlete, testing very well at the NFL combine and opening quite a few eyes in the process.

It may take him a year or two to come into his own at the NFL level but there's no reason that the 6-foot-4, 253-pound tight end cannot develop into a starting tight end for the Jaguars and at the very least.

Fit Grade: B

Ceiling Projection: Starting tight end

Floor Projection: Backup pass-catching tight end

First of all, what an amazing story. At one point, it looked like Scruggs career would be over before it had a chance to start when a serious car accident nearly derailed his career. Despite all odds, the Erie, Pennsylvania native worked his way back from the injury and turned himself into a second-round draft pick.

Scruggs is a quality-sized center at 6-foot-3 and 301-pounds but also is an athletic one. He ranked sixth in the combine this year when it comes to athleticism from centers in the draft. He has a great lower body frame that allows him to withstand bull rushes from opposing defenders while his reach allows him to make up for some of the higher-end athleticism it would take to take on your faster pass rushers. The second round was a bit surprising as many had him pegged as a third or fourth-round choice. Of course, he's also a very good run blocker as well, a key part of the Nittany Lions' success on the ground this past season.

READ: Penn State's Brenton Strange and Juice Scruggs drafted in second round

That being said when it comes to his fit with Houston - it's a good one and the Texans are banking on that as well. After all, they traded up three spots to nab him, trading their No. 65, No. 188, and No. 230 picks. The Texans of course are in their first year under head coach DeMeco Ryans and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. Slowik comes out of the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree which is a bit of a combination of a west-coast offense and a zone running game that plays into Scruggs's skillset. As a strong run blocker, the Texans will be able to plug-and-play Scruggs right into the middle of their offensive line at center and set the tone as a run blocker. When the Texans do pass the ball, he should be able to hold down the fort well enough. He will get beat at times by your better defensive tackles but should his own as well. He has a chance to be a long-time starter in the league especially if he sticks into great scheme fits like the Texans.

Fit: A+

Ceiling: Long-term starting center

Floor: Backup / journeyman center

Not many, if any safeties in this raft class had better production than Ji'Ayir Brown. However, an underwhelming performance at the combine when it came to testing hurt Brown's draft stock a bit as well. That being said, the 49ers are getting a huge steal in our opinion at safety and is a natural fit. Anthony Poindexter is one of the best collegiate safety coaches in the country and has produced multiple NFL draft picks, including Jaquan Brisker. Brisker was a steal for the Bears last year and we expect the 49ers got one here as well.

READ: Penn State safety Ji'Ayir Brown drafted 87th overall by San Francisco

Brown is quite versatile safety that should be able to fit into the 49ers' defensive plans pretty well. Brown can do it all, he can be great i pass coverage where he recorded 10 interceptions over the last two seasons but could also be a great contributor against the run and even rush the passer, racking up 4.5 sacks this past season. He's going to likely be asked to do a little bit of everything with the 49ers as well at the next level.

He may have a bigger impact on special teams early on in his career rather than on the defensive side of the ball but ultimately, Brown is a potential starter at the NFL level and should be a long-time player in the league.

Fit Grade: A

Ceiling Projection: Starting above league-average safety

Floor Projection: Backup safety

I was a little surprised to see Clifford go as early as he did on Saturday, being selected by the Packers with the 149th overall pick in the fifth round. That being said, the Packers were a team that was tied to Clifford in the pre-draft process, bringing him in for at least one known visit.

For Clifford, heading to Green Bay offers a chance for him a quality battling opportunity. Jordan Love will without a doubt still be the starter for the Packers this upcoming season after trading Aaron Rodgers earlier this week but Clifford should be able to compete with former Purdue and LSU quarterback Danny Etling to be the Packers' backup quarterback. Even if Clifford would fail to win the backup job, it would very high chance that Clifford ends up on the Packers practice squad this upcoming fall.

Additionally, if Clifford does see the field in Green Bay, he fits a system that matches his skillset quite well. The Packers' offense is one that focuses on quick-hitting passes. Last year, Aaron Rodgers's average intended air yards per pass attempt, or roughly the average depth of the intended target was just eight yards, and the average completed air yards per completion was just 5.2. That 5.2 ranked 26th in the NFL last season.

READ: Penn State QB Sean Clifford selected by Green Bay Packers

Clifford, on the other hand, saw his best success last season in the short throws, hitting 97-of-122 passing attempts for 914 yards and seven touchdowns with just two interceptions. Additionally, the Packers love to run bubble screens, arrows, and flats quite a bit which is another area that Clifford succeeded at quite well this past season, completing 27-of-36 passing attempts outside either hash mark under 10 yards for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

I don't expect Clifford to develop into an NFL starting quarterback, he may be able to develop into a quality backup but when it comes to good fits, there are not many teams that would've been better fits for Clifford than the Packers.

Fit Grade: B+

Ceiling Projection: Backup quarterback

Floor Projection: Practice squad quarterback

Washington was a prospect coming into the draft season that many thought could be a late day two or early day three selection. However, a foot injury combined with some measurable concerns caused his draft stock to fall, letting him slide all the way to the sixth round where he was selected by the Jaguars.

At this spot in the draft, this is a really nice steal for the Jaguars and Washington has a chance to be a solid playmaker for the Jags down in Duval.

Washington's measurables may not be the best, he's only 5-foot-10 and 204-pounds and his forty-yard dash times usually come in around the high 4.4s or low 4.5s. That being said, there is no doubt that he is a playmaker. Washington when the ball was thrown his way over his Penn State career was a very reliable pass catcher who showed great pass-catching radius. Throughout his career, the ball was thrown his way a ton with 200 career targets, 139 of those passes were caught and just eight of them were dropped over his career in Happy Valley.

READ: Penn State WR Parker Washington drafted by Jacksonville Jaguars

When it comes to his fit in Jacksonville, he will join a talented wide receiver room and with Trevor Lawrence attempting nearly 600 passing attempts last season, there are plenty of targets to go around. His overall build is similar to that of Christian Kirk who checks in at 5-foot-11 and 200-pounds and ran a similar 40-yard dash coming out of Texas A&M.

His overall lack of explosiveness is what will probably hold him back at the next level to go along with a bit of a lack of physicality. That being said, Washington should be able to fit in well in the slot for Jacksonville. His abilities on special teams could allow him to see the field more early on in his career as well.

Fit: B

Ceiling Projection: High-level backup slot receiver / special teams ace

Floor Projection: Depth wide receiver with special teams upside

This is a great landing spot for Chris Stoll for a few reasons but the biggest being that the Seahawks didn't have a long snapper coming in today. Now, they have their likely starter in Stoll who was the nation's best long-snapper this past season.

Fit: A+

Ceiling Projection: Long-term starter
Floor Projection: Journeyman

Sutherland is also headed to the Seattle Seahawks. It's a solid landing spot for him but if he's going to make the team, he'll have to impress in minicamp, OTAs, and of course training camp. If he gets that far, he'll need to become a special teams ace as he doesn't have the athleticism to play at the next level at safety or linebacker in any consistent manner.

Fit: B

Ceiling Projection: Special teams ace
Floor Projection: Practice squad

Fit: This is a quality fit for Mitchell Tinsley who probably deserved to be drafted. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound wide receiver is a quality athlete with great hands and a good catch radius. He should have a quality chance of breaking the Commanders' 53-man roster but if not, will prove worthy of a practice squad spot.

Fit: B

Ceiling Projection: Depth wide receiver

Floor Projection: Practice squad

Fit: Mustipher is an interesting case. Prior to his knee injury in 2021, he was well on his way to being a late-day two or early-day three draft pick. However, after tearing his ACL against Iowa, Mustipher struggled to regain the quickness he once had. That being said, he still was productive for the Nittany Lions this past season. With Denver, Mustipher is mostly going to be asked to be a run stuffer and fill the gaps. This has a chance to be a nice steal for the Broncos, he may need to be stashed on the practice squad for a little bit but there's a good chance he turns into a quality defensive tackle at the next level.

Fit: B+

Ceiling Projection: Above-average backup run stuffer defensive tackle

Ceiling Floor: Practice squad

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