After four Nittany Lions heard their names called over the first two days of the NFL Draft, the rest of Penn State's 2024 NFL Draft hopefuls will hope to hear their name called on Saturday afternoon in Detroit.
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PREVIOUS PICKS
ROUND 1
-- OT Olu Fashanu (No. 11)
-- DE Chop Robinson (No. 21)
ROUND 3
-- OT Caedan Wallace (No. 68)
--- DE Adisa Isaac (No. 98)
ROUND 4
- - TE Theo Johnson (No. 107)
ROUND 5
-- C Hunter Nourzad (No. 159)
ROUND 6
- - DB Daequan Hardy (No. 219)
ROUND 7
— DB Kalen King (No.255)
READING MATERIAL
PENN STATE OT OLU FASHANU SELECTED IN FIRST ROUND OF 2024 NFL DRAFT
PENN STATE DE CHOP ROBINSON SELECTED IN FIRST ROUND OF 2024 NFL DRAFT
THOUGHTS ON OLU FASHANU AND CHOP ROBINSON'S LANDING SPOTS
PENN STATE OT CAEDAN WALLACE DRAFTED IN THIRD ROUND OF NFL DRAFT
PENN STATE DE ADISA ISAAC DRAFTED IN THIRD ROUND OF NFL DRAFT
CB Johnny Dixon
DRAFT STATUS: AVAILABLE
After spending two seasons at South Carolina where he played 22 games, Dixon transferred into Penn State ahead of the 2021 season and was one of the program's best cornerbacks over his three seasons with the program. Not only was Dixon strong against the pass with five interceptions and 13 pass break ups over the past two seasons, he was also great in the pass rush with 7.5 sacks over his past 25 games. He didn't test overly well in the combine which hurt his stock but don't be surprised if Dixon becomes a valuable rotational cornerback in the NFL.
NFL Analyst Lance ZIerlein's thoughts...
Feisty man cover cornerback with above-average competitiveness in coverage but missing some key attributes that might be necessary for true NFL success. Dixon gives out bumpy rides against press release and does a nice job of creating coverage leverage with his footwork, but he struggles to get his hips opened when crossed up or when flipping to match a vertical route. He has below-average speed deep but can smother routes with physicality and ball skills when he stays attached. His technique and effort as a tackler needs to improve. The cover skills are fine, but questionable NFL speed and fluidity could create too many coverage inconsistencies as a pro.
S Keaton Ellis
DRAFT STATUS: CAMP INVITE (TENNESSEE TITANS)
A State College native, Ellis had himself an overall solid career with the Nittany Lions and was always a steady member of the Penn State defense. During his five year career, Ellis totaled 85 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, two interceptions, 12 pass deflections, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. He'll likely go undrafted but his athleticism could potentially be enough for a team to take a flier on him in the sixth or seventh round.
NFL Analyst Lance ZIerlein's thoughts...
Undersized collegiate safety who will need to make a transition to slot corner to give himself a chance. Ellis has good speed and is an explosive athlete, but those traits fail to make enough of a difference in Ellis’ coverage. He’s a willing tackler but lacks ideal stopping power. Ellis lacks the anticipation to be a playmaker and will need to keep improving in that area to give himself a chance of making a team.
CB Daequan Hardy
DRAFT STATUS: Round 6, 219 (Buffalo Bills)
A superb athlete, Hardy will be a late draft pick due to being undersized but he could carve himself out a role in the NFL thanks to his abilities on special teams. Over his career with the program, Hardy played in 48 games, recording 60 total tackle, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He also had 25 career pass deflections and five interceptions.
NFL Analyst Lance ZIerlein's thoughts...
Finesse nickel cornerback with above-average ball skills to help make up for average speed and explosiveness. Hardy will need to play with better route anticipation in man to make up for his average acceleration and recovery when beaten. He plays with excellent positioning and timing to disrupt catch attempts down the field and in tight quarters, but handling the physicality of the NFL could be a steep challenge for him. Hardy is a solid punt returner and can compete for gunner reps but might not have the suddenness and size to stand out in those respective roles.
LB Curtis Jacobs
DRAFT STATUS: UDFA (Kansas City Chiefs)
Jacobs will move onto the NFL after a productive career for Penn State in which he was a Butkus Award semifinalist as a junior for the program in 2023. During his career, Jacobs appeared in 45 games for the Nittany Lions in and started in 36 of the program's last 37 games. For his career, he recorded 171 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks as well as two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. While not the most athletic linebacker, Jacobs is a smart linebacker who could find a role within an NFL defense going forward.
NFL Analyst Lance ZIerlein's thoughts...
Three-year starter with solid production on a unit that has been full of talent during his tenure. Jacobs has good size and play strength but offers average range as a tackler. He plays with active hands and can work around blocks, but he's often a step slow in diagnosing the play. Jacobs can fit run gaps and make plays that are in front of him, but he doesn't show consistent enough field awareness to expect he'll make plays on all three downs. His speed testing was average at the NFL Scouting Combine, but his overall explosiveness was strong, which could make him a Day 3 target with backup and special teams potential.
TE Theo Johnson
DRAFT STATUS: Round 4, Pick 107 - New York Giants
Johnson will look to be the next Penn State tight end who hopes to make an impact at the NFL level. Johnson was projected as a potential third round pick but has slid into day three which could make him a steal for someone on Saturday. For his career, Johnson recorded 77 receptions for 938 yards and seven touchdowns and recorded career highs in 2023 as the program's starting tight end with 34 receptions for 341 yards and seven touchdowns.
NFL Analyst Lance ZIerlein's thoughts...
Highly recruited out of high school, Johnson looks the part with an above-average frame and traits. While teams might want to place him in an elevated silo for consideration, they might not find the consistency or high number of flashes on tape that they were expecting. Johnson's run blocking is below average for his size, and adopting a glass-eating mentality in conjunction with technique work could help him improve in that area. He'll make contested catches and is adequate against man coverage, but he lacks dynamic qualities as a pass catcher. Traits will work in his favor, but there is work to be done to become anything more than an average backup.
CB Kalen King
DRAFT STATUS: 7th Round, 255 overall (Green Bay Packers)
A bit of an enigma, this time last year, King was looking like a potential first or second round pick at worst. Now, he's a day three pick, and may be a late day three pick at that. A poor performance at the NFL combine didn't help his case either. That being said, King still has plenty of potential in his game and it's hard to believe the player he once was is completely gone. While his ceiling may not be as high as once expected, there are still plenty of reasons that someone will take a chance on him in the later rounds on Saturday. Overall, he recorded 80 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 25 pass deflections, and three interceptions in his career at Penn State.
NFL Analyst Lance ZIerlein's thoughts...
King's 2022 performance was significantly better than what he put on tape in 2023, but it might not be enough to sway some evaluators. King was consistently rocked out of position by route breaks over the first two levels and didn't find the ball frequently enough with his back to the passer on deep shots. He doesn't have the fluidity to just mirror and match routes, so he'll need to get back to playing more physically from press to slow down route momentum. King is more than capable of tilting 50/50 balls in his favor when he's in position, but finding positioning in man or zone coverages as a pro could be very challenging.
C Hunter Nourzad
DRAFT STATUS: Round 5, Pick 159 (Kansas City Chiefs)
After spending three seasons with Cornell, Nourzad transferred into Penn State ahead of the 2022 season and was a valuable member of the Nittany Lions offensive line at both guard and center. He started in 21 of 24 games played with the Nittany Lions and earned All-Big Ten honorable mentions as a guard in 2022 and a second-team All-Big Ten center this past season. His future in the NFL is at center but his ability to play guard or center should serve him well at the next level.
NFL Analyst Lance ZIerlein's thoughts...
Broad and powerful with thick hips and adequate length for the position. The Cornell transfer not only possesses NFL-caliber core strength, technique and body control, he also had quality performances against his toughest Big Ten competition. Nourzad has the feel and footwork for all run-blocking schemes and is strong enough to deal with a 0-technique lined up over him. While he’s strong on impact, he needs to be careful about playing too far out over his skis in order to keep from whiffing. His punch and anchor are where they need to be, but the Ohio State game showed he has work to do with twist recognition and response. Nourzad has early starter ability at center.
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