Up Next: Predicting Penn State's 2020 NFL Draft class
With six players selected in the 2019 NFL Draft, three of whom were underclassmen opting to forgo their final seasons of eligibility, Penn State matched its 2018 mark to make 12 draft picks in the past two years.
Where does that leave the Nittany Lions moving forward when looking ahead to the 2020 NFL Draft?
Considering much of the attrition to take place within the program this offseason, including the departures of wide receiver Juwan Johnson, linebacker Manny Bowen, and most recently, that of quarterback Tommy Stevens, the Nittany Lions' senior class has shrunk.
In fact, when taking into account the preferred walk-ons who were recently granted scholarships, plus graduate transfers, the Nittany Lions are down to 10 players entering their final seasons of eligibility.
As was the case this season, though, early entrants could alter that picture for Penn State by the time the 2020 NFL Draft arrives.
With that in mind, let's take a look at a few of the draft-eligible prospects on Penn State's roster for the upcoming season, starting with the senior class:
Linebacker
6-foot-5, 230 pounds
Projection: Athleticism has never really been up for debate when it comes to Cam Brown. Putting it all together at the position, however, has been more of a gradual process for the rising senior.
Called into action immediately as a true freshman in 2016, Brown has since appeared in 38 games over the last three years, starting all but one of the Lions' contests in the 2018 season.
And now, with his final campaign with the Nittany Lions approaching, Brown will be called upon as one of the primary leaders on a defense loaded with young talent. It's a challenge he's taken to heart, and one that head coach James Franklin has already seen plenty of evidence of growth this spring.
"Cam is one of those guys, we've got a pretty good idea of who he is and where he's at. I think the biggest difference right now is just his leadership. He's taken a real command of the team. He's taken a real command of the defense," Franklin told reporters this spring. "He's gotten bigger, he's gotten stronger and more physical. So it's just that steady evolution that you kind of see with him, growing and more confident, I think he's got a chance to have a really big year for us."
That big year, in turn, could lead to big things for Brown at the next level.
Guard
6-foot-4, 349 pounds
Projection: Truth be told, Gonzalez nearly chose not to come back for this season, the rising fifth-year senior offensive lineman told reporters this spring.
Acknowledging that he was leaning toward going pro after his junior campaign, Gonzalez said that ultimately, the feedback he received as a second or third day selection was enough to draw him back to the Nittany Lions for one more go 'round.
"We sat down and discussed it, and we just felt like it was the best decision for me to come back," he said. "It just made sense for me to come back."
Lining up at 889 snaps at left guard last season, Gonzalez earned a better mark for his pass protection than his run game blocking (75.9 vs. 64.2) according to Pro Football Focus' advanced metrics.
Defensive tackle
6-foot-4, 298 pounds
Projection: An honorable mention All-Big Ten pick last season by both the conference coaches and media, Windsor will have another chance to shine this season as Penn State's returning starting nose tackle.
Last year, lining up next to Kevin Givens, Windsor finished with 11 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks. The numbers were good enough to put Windsor among the Big Ten's stat leaders in both categories, and he'll be looking to improve upon them in the coming season.
"His approach to spring has been tremendous," defensive line coach Sean Spencer said this month. "He is a true scientist of his own game. He studies his technique over and over again. I get multiple screenshots or videos of, 'What do you think of this play?' when he's at home. 'What do you think about my hands here?' He's constantly working on his craft."
Should that determination turn into visible gains in production in his final season at Penn State, Windsor could very well find himself earning an NFL Draft selection next spring.
Cornerback
5-foot-10, 189 pounds
Projection: This is the money year for John Reid, who returns for his fifth-year senior campaign after suffering an ACL injury that prevented him from action for roughly two spring practice sessions and the 2017 season.
Back in action for the 2018 season, Reid started the year slowly, albeit as one of the Nittany Lions' starters at corner. He finished the year second on the team with eight pass breakups and a pair of interceptions in 11 games, but found his overall performance to be a gradual one in the comeback, earning a PFF defensive grade of 65.2, as opposed to his marks of 75.9 and 73.1 in 2016 and 2015, respectively.
Penn State head coach James Franklin, and Reid himself, are expecting even more improvement for the 2019 season when considering everything needed to truly recover from a knee injury.
"Obviously you have the physical aspect, and the doctors are going to decide when they're able to come back and the player's got a part in that as well, too. But then I think you also have the aspect of the confidence of going out there and playing. And both of those things take time to work through," Franklin said this spring. "It's the physical aspect and it's the mental aspect of it, that they come out here and change direction, fly around and stick their foot in the ground and be physical in the run game and contest balls in close quarters and things like that. That takes time... but I know he's in a great place right now."
Safety
6-foot, 204 pounds
Projection: James Franklin left the Nittany Lions' spring practice session avoiding naming starters at specific positions, including the assumed returning spot for Garrett Taylor at safety after 12 games started a year ago.
That does not mean, however, that Franklin has anything other than high expectations for the rising senior coming off a junior campaign in which he nabbed three interceptions.
And those expectations have been matched by Taylor himself, who assessed his own performance through the spring with an eye toward his future.
"My main thing with this offseason is I really invested into my body. I think during the season, I was a little bit heavier than I needed to be, per se, and this offseason I really invested in my diet and making sure I was putting the right stuff in my body. I've seen that really pay off this spring ball. I think I'm flying around, making a lot of plays," said Taylor. "So I think that's the main thing for me is, my body has changed. I'm a lot stronger, much faster, and I feel just better overall with the weight I'm carrying.
"Then just in terms of football-wise, I think the game has slowed down for me at times. After having a full season under my belt, I think I'm out there anticipating plays instead of reacting to them, especially with my pre-snap reads and stuff like that."
Should Taylor continue to take the next steps at the position, he could prove to be worthy of a draft pick.
Punter
6-foot-2, 195 pounds
Projection: Gillikin might not have had his strongest season as a junior in terms of consistency,, but his 44.0 yards per punt average finished second in the Big Ten for the year.
And, should Gillikin build on that effort and establish a better year of consistency as the Nittany Lions' punter, an NFL future more than likely awaits.
Just take the comments of former Penn State special teams coordinator and current NFL special teams assistant, Phil Galiano, to understand why.
"I think Blake is special. He's really, really talented. And I think he's got an NFL future ahead of him and he can go punt in that league for a good amount of years," said Galiano leading into the 2018 season. "I think it's a combination of, he understands the technique that he wants to do. He obviously has God-given ability and the leg strength to be able to do that.
"But he works. I mean, he is a worker that perfects his craft, that works as well as anybody I've ever seen. And he doesn't always work at the kicking aspect. He understands how important taking care of his body is. Strength and conditioning with our strength staff. The core strength that he does. The flexibility and the yoga. He gets the whole big picture, so that's why he's going to be extremely successful."
Jan Johnson
Linebacker
6-foot-2, 236 pounds
Projection: Given his role in the defense, Johnson is more than likely to add up a bunch of statistics in his final season with the Nittany Lion linebackers.
Whether that is enough to earn Johnson a pick at the next level remains to be seen, but there's no doubting that he's likely to be among the team leaders in tackles and will have an opportunity to draw some attention at the next level.
Underclassmen and other possibilities
Penn State's group of underclassmen might not be as robust in terms of NFL-ready prospects as this most recent class, but the maybe the highest pick of all could come out of it.
Already rating as high as a first round selection by some mock drafts, defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos is poised for a colossal junior season with expectations at the next level in accordance with those projections.
Defensive end
6-foot-5, 265 pounds
Projection: This is where things really get interesting for the Nittany Lions next year.
Defensive line coach Sean Spencer didn't go so far as to talk about Gross-Matos in an NFL context this spring, but he did describe the heights available to the rising junior defensive end.
"I think the sky is the limit. The guy's got some of the most natural ability I've ever been around, especially since I've been here," said Spencer. "I put him in the category of Carl Nassib at the beginning of the year last year, and everybody looked at me like, sure. Then all of a sudden, he has 20 TFLs and I'm thinking I'm right."
A first-team All-Big Ten selection following his sophomore season, Gross-Matos finished with eight sacks.
Receiver/Special Teams Returnman
5-foot-9, 168 pounds
Projection: Hamler might only have one season of playing experience, but he's already made it count.
He produced 1,417 all-purpose yards last season to break Saquon Barkley's true freshman mark, he was a Freshman All-America pick by the Football Writers Association at kick returner, and maybe most important, led the Nittany Lions with 42 receptions for 754 yards and five scores. (He added another on the ground, too).
Owning a tight bond with presumed starting quarterback Sean Clifford since their recruitment shouldn't hurt his opportunity for big numbers in the season ahead, either.
Cornerback
6-foot, 181 pounds
Projection: A virtual starter through the course of the 2018 season, even without the official designation next to his name, Castro-Fields produced one of the highest PFF defensive grades for the year on Penn State's defense at 77.2.
Now expected to assume the official starting role alongside Reid at corner, Castro-Fields will look to improve on his 32 tackles, 5.0 TFL, and seven passes defended. If the season goes well, his could be another name with the potential to go pro early.
Offensive line
6-foot-4, 312 pounds
Projection: A returning starting center following 12 starts during the 2018 season, Menet could find himself needing to make a similar decision to those considered by McGovern, Bates, and Gonzalez this past offseason.
Competing in his third season of game action and what will be his fourth year as a Nittany Lion, he'll have the experience and, quite possibly, the resume to land on an NFL roster if he so chooses.