13 Nittany Lions Join NFL Teams After Draft Weekend
When the dust settled Saturday night after the 2018 NFL Draft, 13 Nittany Lions had joined NFL organizations. Six players were selected during the draft and seven others signed deals as undrafted free agents.
It all started Thursday night when Saquon Barkley was selected No. 2 overall by the New York Giants. Penn State’s not-so-secret weapon had his crowning moment in front of a primetime audience and hours later broke a record for draft night jersey sales.
Day two of the draft also got a Penn Stater off the board early on as Mike Gesicki was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the tenth pick of the second round. A day later, Troy Apke’s strong NFL Scouting Combine paid off as the Washington Redskins drafted him with the 109th overall pick. The Denver Broncos selected DaeSean Hamilton just four picks later.
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Marcus Allen in the fifth round, much to the delight of Penn State’s Yinzer corps. The final Nittany Lion drafted was cornerback Christian Campbell, who was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 182 overall pick.
After the draft ended, these Penn Staters signed deals as undrafted free agents:
- Oakland Raiders: Jason Cabinda and Saeed Blacknall
- Carolina Panthers: Brendan Mahon
- New York Giants: Grant Haley
- Buffalo Bills: Tyler Davis
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Parker Cothren
- Minnesota Vikings: Curtis Cothran
Penn State’s six NFL Draft picks equaled the amount of players drafted from Georgia, Florida State, and Miami. The only schools to top the Nittany Lions in players drafted were LSU, NC State, Ohio State, and Alabama.
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