After months of speculation and talk, the 2021 NFL Draft is finally here.

The draft will kick off at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 29, from Cleveland, Ohio, and you can catch it on ESPN, ABC, and the NFL Network. Several Nittany Lions are expecting to hear their names called by representatives of the 32 NFL teams over the course of this weekend, including Micah Parsons, Pat Freiermuth, and Jayson Oweh, among others.

There’s been endless chatter and mock drafts on where each of these Penn Staters may end up, so we decided it was time we made our own predictions.

With that, let’s discuss where and when these Penn State stars will end up.

Micah Parsons

The Team: Philadelphia Eagles
The Pick: No. 12 overall, Round 1

Parsons’ projection in this year’s draft has seemed to fall up and down nonstop these past few months. Despite being arguably the top defensive prospect in the draft class, reported character issues have apparently lowered his stock.

Despite all of that, Parsons’ pure football ability should make him an early first-round pick. The Eagles have missed on generational talents at the linebacker position before. In fact, they haven’t drafted a linebacker in the first round in 41 years, but we don’t see them passing this time around.

There’s no arguing with the fact that the Nittany Lions is talented, as he leaves Happy Valley with 191 total tackles and six forced fumbles over the course of just two seasons. That’s exactly what Philadelphia needs at linebacker.

Without a clear-cut star on the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles can use this early pick on Parsons. His speed and strength are just too impressive for so many teams to pass on in the first round.

Jayson Oweh

The Team: New Orleans Saints
The Pick: No. 28 overall, Round 1

The New Orleans Saints need to bolster up their group of edge rushers. Despite the fact that some consider Oweh to be a gamble at defensive end, don’t expect them to pass if he falls deep in the first round.

The argument against the defensive end out of New Jersey remains to be that he didn’t have any sacks in 2020. That’s not a positive stat by any means, but Oweh clearly possesses NFL athleticism that could lead him to success in New Orleans. The 6’5″, 257-pounder ran an absurd 4.39 40-yard dash and bench pressed 225 pounds 21 times at Penn State’s Pro Day.

NFL teams are well aware of Oweh’s pure speed coming off of the edge, and the Saints would likely be excited to have the Nittany Lion help them get after Tom Brady twice a year. New Orleans lacks a go-to guy to harass opposing quarterbacks, so don’t be surprised if they invest in Oweh.

Even without the jaw-dropping stat line, he certainly has no shortage of confidence in himself.

“In terms of the zero sacks thing, it’s obviously there,” Oweh said at Penn State’s Pro Day. “But if you really are a savant of the game, you really understand what’s going on. You watch the film and don’t just look at the box score. You understand that’s not even who I am. That’s not the type of player I am.”

Pat Freiermuth

The Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Pick: No. 33 overall, Round 2

Jacksonville is unanimously expected to take former Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick, but what about a young target to go with its new gunslinger?

The Jaguars struggled in just about every facet of the game last season, but the group notably lacked a consistent option at tight end. With little to no production at that position this past fall, Jacksonville should be happy to scoop up Freiermuth to open the second round Friday night.

“Baby Gronk” isn’t as highly rated as Florida’s Kyle Pitts, but his Penn State career isn’t anything to scoff at, either. He leaves Happy Valley with 16 touchdowns, a program record for a tight end, and 1,185 total receiving yards. His pass-catching ability and size would be a valuable addition to an offense that’s in desperate need of a rebuild alongside Lawrence.

Freiermuth is already a borderline first-round pick. But if he ends up falling to the second round, don’t expect him to hang around for a while.

Zech McPhearson

The Team: Dallas Cowboys
The Pick: No. 192 overall, Round 6

After three fairly quiet seasons at Penn State, McPhearson’s career at cornerback took off at Texas Tech over the past two seasons. He started in all 12 games for the Red Raiders during his first season in Lubbock in 2019 and was named a captain for the team for his senior season this past fall.

McPhearson quietly developed into one of the top defensive backs in the nation by making 53 total tackles, four interceptions, and six pass breakups.

Dallas needs depth at cornerback to play alongside Trevon Diggs, and a late-round grab for McPhearson could go a long way in filling that team need. While a sixth-round pick doesn’t mean the Cowboys will expect him to start right away, McPhearson’s productive two seasons at Texas Tech prove that he deserves an opportunity at the next level.

Outside of having an impressive ball-hawking ability, the 5’11”, 190-pound defensive back also ran a 4.50-second 40-yard dash at Texas Tech’s Pro Day. He seemingly has the athleticism required to hang at the next level.

Shaka Toney

The Team: New York Giants
The Pick: No. 196 overall, Round 6

Toney may not garner the same hype as an edge rusher as Oweh, but the New York Giants are among several other teams who could use a late-round pick on the Philly native to help bolster that position.

After five seasons in Happy Valley, the 6’3″, 252-pound defensive lineman leaves with an impressive resume. He appeared in 47 total games for the Nittany Lions, starting in 22 of them. Outside of a vast of experience that could add depth to New York’s defensive front, Toney has the stats to back himself up. He finished his time in the blue and white with 20.5 sacks, including five during the 2020 campaign.

Toney’s consistency is what makes him a valued late-round addition for a team such as the Giants. He had five games in his collegiate career with two or more sacks, which is an exciting ceiling for New York to add to a defensive line that finished No. 13 in the NFL with 40 sacks last season.

Michal Menet

The Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Pick: No. 251, Round 7

Tampa Bay’s offensive line didn’t struggle too much protecting Tom Brady last season, but it could use some depth on the interior. Michal Menet is a veteran who made an impressive 34 starts at center for Penn State over a five-year career, so a little development over the next few seasons could make him a strong addition to Tampa Bay’s group of linemen up front.

While he was unable to participate in agility drills and the 40-yard dash at Penn State’s Pro Day, Menet still showcased his strength by putting up 26 reps on the bench press. Standing at 6’4″ and 301 pounds, he also has the size needed to hold his own at the professional level.

The Buccaneers’ do have established starters up and down their offensive line, but Menet would be a sure-fire depth addition to a position group that always sees a fair share of injuries.

Undrafted

• Lamont Wade: Wade leaves Penn State with a solid career in the secondary, but there’s not a ton of chatter surrounding him besides being a possible seventh-round grab. Unfortunately for Wade, however, there’s quite a bit of safety depth ahead of him in this year’s draft pool. If he doesn’t end up getting picked up, Wade will almost certainly sign with a team as a free agent in the hours following the draft. His productive career as a safety and special teamer is just too much to overlook for a shot on an NFL roster.
• Will Fries: There’s no arguing that Fries is a versatile offensive lineman, as he played right guard this past season after spending his career at tackle. However, the New Jersey native isn’t currently generating the same amount of buzz as some of his offensive line counterparts ahead of this weekend’s draft. Fries started in 42 of his 48 games at Penn State, so his vast experience would certainly be enough to sign him shortly after the seventh round wraps up.