Earlier today, The Athletic released their midseason 2024 NFL Draft Big Board and it featured not one, not two, but three current Penn State Nittany Lions within the top 30 prospects.
With that being said, let's take a look at who made the list.
OVERALL RANK: No. 5
This one shouldn't come as too much of a surprise as Fashanu could've left for the NFL Draft this past offseason and likely would've been a first round pick. However he decided to make the return to State College so he could get his degree and now grades out as the highest ranked offensive lineman on the board per PFF in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
WHAT THEY SAID: "At 6 feet 6 and 321 pounds with 34 3/8-inch arms, Fashanu is one of the best pass-protecting tackle prospects in recent years. He shows an outstanding blend of size, movement skills and body control to easily access his anchor. His intelligence and character are also strong selling points.
Scouts want to see a more aggressive approach from him, especially in the run game."
OVERALL RANK: No. 12
Now Robinson hasn't had the best of seasons so far this year, but we've seen flashes of that crazy potential here and there. A lot of Robinson's hype comes from his dominant performance in the 2022 season where he finished ranked as PFF's highest ranked edge rusher. At the moment he's been banged up a bit, missing last week's game, but look for him to return to form soon as he continues to recover.
WHAT THEY SAID: "For Robinson (5.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks) to be ranked this highly, it’d be great if he was more consistently dominant. But he’ll go on heaters (see: the Iowa tape), where he’ll just take over games for stretches with his instant speed and aggressive hands. He is a better prospect than Will McDonald IV, who was drafted No. 15 this past April.
Robinson exited the Ohio State game last Saturday with an injury and had to be carted to the locker room, but Penn State hopes to get him back soon."
OVERALL RANK: No. 26
There hasn't been much of a fall off the cornerback room for Penn State this year as they lost top corner Joey Porter Jr. to the 2023 NFL Draft (No. 32 overall) as King has stepped into that CB1 role pretty well. Yes he's had some struggles, especially against Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. recently, but most DBs throughout the country struggle to cover him. Look for him to continue his solid season over the last four weeks as he hopes to play up to his potential first round ranking.
WHAT THEY SAID: "There’s no way around it: King had a disappointing performance versus Ohio State, his most important tape of the season. Whether in the slot or outside, Marvin Harrison Jr. had little trouble creating separation against him, and King also committed two costly penalties (one took points off the board for Penn State; another set up Ohio State near the goal line).
King (25 career passes defended) is a talented and aggressive competitor and still belongs in the first-round discussion, but he must finish the season strong — including an important matchup against Michigan on Nov. 11."
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