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Football

[Live Blog] The 2023 NFL Draft

Kyra Cunningham | Onward State
By Staff
4/27/23 7:00 pm

The first and second rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft are in the books. While they were expected to hear their names called in the first round, Joey Porter Jr. and Will Levis had to wait until the first two picks of the second round to see their NFL dreams come true. Brenton Strange and Juice Scruggs also surprised many when they heard their names called at the end of the second round. Ji’Ayir Brown was the latest Nittany Lion to be drafted as the No. 87 pick.

Several other Nittany Lions, including Parker Washington, Sean Clifford, and PJ Mustipher, are also likely to be drafted at some point this weekend.

Follow along for Onward State’s live coverage of the action, or tune into ABC, ESPN, or NFL Network. The third round begins on Saturday, April 28, at noon ET.

Live Blog:

Day Three

7:00 p.m. — This officially concludes our live coverage of the 2023 NFL Draft. Thanks for tuning in!

7:00 p.m. — And, with the last pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams select…Desjuan Johnson! The defensive tackle from Toledo is officially this year’s Mr. Irrelevant.

6:47 p.m. — Michigan wide receiver Ronnie Bell has been drafted by the 49ers.

6:39 p.m. — Now at pick 250, we are approaching the end of the 2023 NFL Draft.

6:17 p.m. — TCU quarterback Max Duggan has been drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers.

6:16 p.m. — Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh has been drafted by the Seahawks. Finally, a Bulldog that didn’t end up in Philly.

6:03 p.m. — Can someone draft Nick Tarburton?

5:26 p.m. — The New York Jets have selected Old Dominion tight end, Zack Kuntz. Kuntz, of course, used to play for the Nittany Lions.

5:08 p.m. — Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn is off to that team in Dallas.

4:51 p.m. — Rutgers cornerback Christian Braswell, who had trouble covering Brenton Strange and Parker Washington, has been drafted by the Jaguars. If you can’t beat them, join them, I guess.

4:43 p.m. — Imagine having the draft in Happy Valley.

4:22 p.m. — Chris Rodriguez Jr.! Welcome to our nation’s capital! #HTTC!

4:07 p.m. — Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee has been drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles.

3:59 p.m. — With the No. 185 overall pick, the Jacksonville Jaguars select…PARKER WASHINGTON! He joins teammate Brenton Strange. DUUUVAL?

3:57 p.m. — Former Penn State and Old Dominion tight end Zack Kuntz is also still on the board.

3:51 p.m. — Olu Fashanu is one of Mel Kiper Jr.’s top five prospects in next year’s draft. He’d be the first Penn Stater to be a top-five pick since Saquon in 2018.

3:40 p.m. — If you’re reading this and haven’t seen Sean Clifford’s reaction to getting drafted, I’ll leave it below. It is truly an amazing scene for No. 14, who was overcome with emotions.

3:36 p.m. — Northwestern running back Evan Hull has been drafted by the Indianapolis Colts. He managed just 45 rushing yards over 11 attempts in Penn State’s 17-7 win over the Wildcats on that rainy day at Beaver Stadium last October.

3:34 p.m. — ESPN went back to Mexico City for a group of Rams fans to announce the team’s pick. Yes, there have been rumors the league is looking to expand to Europe and make a division there, but could Mexico’s capital city support one? I think that should also be part of the conversation.

3:32 p.m. — Parker Washington is ranked fifth on Mel’s Best Available.

2:55 p.m. — The #SKOLVikes have selected BYU quarterback Jaren Hall.

2:33 p.m. — A group of Buccaneers fans in Hamburg, Germany just announced that Tampa has drafted Pitt LB SirVocea Dennis. That’s pretty cool.

2:28 p.m. — Former Penn State wideout Justin Shorter, who transferred to Florida, is a Buffalo Bill.

2:23 p.m. — SEAN CLIFFORD IS A GREEN BAY PACKER!!!!!!

1:56 p.m. — UCLA Bruins signal-caller Dorian Thompson-Robinson has been drafted by the Browns.

1:52 p.m. — QB Clayton Tune (Houston) is an Arizona Cardinal. They’ll tune him up nicely to back up Kyler.

1:50 p.m. — I think Mr. Washington should be a Commander. It’s not as if the person writing this is a fan of that team, though.

1:49 p.m. — Gamecock CB Darius Rush is off to Indy, but not for the 500 though.

1:48 p.m. — K.J. Henry, YOU are a Washington Commander. The Clemson defensive end is headed to the DMV!

1:43 p.m. — Purdue’s quarterback Aidan O’Connell just closed out the fourth round, no Penn Staters were selected.

1:35 p.m. — Parker Washington: seventh-best player available.

1:34 p.m. — Another wideout is taken in Tyler Scott from Cincinnati. He’s heading to the Chicago Bears.

1:30 p.m. — Another Big Ten wide receiver that isn’t Washington. Purdue’s Charlie Jones to the Bengals.

1:18 p.m. — Stetson Bennett was just drafted, so it’s a good time to note that Sean Clifford was better than the Heisman finalist.

1:16 p.m. — In other news, Parker Washington is now Mel Kiper Jr.’s eight-best available player.

1:13 p.m. — Sure, Chargers, draft a wide receiver from TCU over Parker Washington. Nothing has ever gone wrong with drafting wide receivers from TCU.

1:07 p.m. Who’s next up for Ty Howle’s Aces in 2023?

1 p.m. — TIM REAM!!

1 p.m. — Can someone just draft Parker Washington already?

12:50 p.m. Braeden Daniels, who could not protect his quarterback in the Rose Bowl, is a Commander.

12:46 p.m. — Another kicker from the Big Ten not named Jake Pinegar.

12:44 p.m. — Parker Washington is currently No. 9 on Mel Kiper Jr.’s best available players.

12:40 p.m. — Jaquan Brisker’s newest teammate is in, as the Bears select Roschon Johnson, a running back from Texas (but in a British accent).

12:39 p.m. — What’s with the Germany theme today? Anyway, Chandler Zavala is a Carolina Panther.

12:38 p.m. — Clark Phillips III, who notably could not get it done in Pasadena, is an Atlanta Falcon.

12:37 p.m. — ESPN, just stop trying to run your highlights for all these guys. You’re two picks behind.

12:36 p.m. — Dawand Jones, two-time All-Big Ten selection from Ohio State, is a Cleveland Brown.

12:35 p.m. — In case you forgot about Joey Porter Jr.

Joey Porter Jr. ‘Proud’ As He Embarks On Journey With Hometown Team

12:34 p.m. — DUUUUVALLLL

12:31 p.m. — Adetomiwa Adebawore was just chosen by the Colts from Northwestern. He had four tackles against Penn State in 2022, including 0.5 tackles for loss.

12:29 p.m. The nice thing about the later rounds of the draft is that these things just zoom by. No more waiting for eight minutes in between each pick.

12:28 p.m. — Juice Scruggs has his newest teammate — the Texans just selected Dylan Horton, a defensive end from TCU. Horton had four sacks against Michigan in the College Football Playoff.

12:26 p.m. — Jake Andrews ist auf dem Weg zu den New England Patriots von den Trojanern, die sich nicht den Big Ten anschließen.

12:24 p.m. — The draft crowd seems to have dwindled significantly since Thursday night. Not shocking, eventually you can only hear “Wide receiver, TCU” so many times.

12:15 p.m. — The best in Georgia leave Georgia and play for the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bulldogs’ Kelee Ringo is a Bird.

12:12 p.m. Jakorian Bennett of the Maryland Terrapins is going to the Las Vegas Raiders. In the Terps’ loss at Penn State last season, he recorded just one tackle in the game.

12:10 p.m. With the 103rd pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints select not a Penn Stater.

12:06 p.m. — Saturday, April 29 will forever be known as the day that the NFL was introduced to its next G.O.A.T. (Sean Clifford).

12:05 p.m. — Roger Goodell is on the stage and the New Orleans Saints are on the clock!

Noon — Desmond Howard get off my TV.

11:57 a.m. — A brief shoutout to the JUCO folks.

11:28 a.m. — “College football is better when Penn State is competitive.” Damn straight.

11:26 a.m. — James Franklin is at the draft??

11:25 a.m. — We are 35 minutes away from the third and final day of the NFL Draft. Penn Staters Parker Washington, PJ Mustipher, and others are still waiting to hear their name called in Kansas City, but may be selected in these last four rounds.

Day Two

11:11 p.m.– With the final selection of the night, the Minnesota Vikings select Mekhi Blackmon from USC. And with that, our Friday night coverage of the 2023 NFL Draft comes to an end. Five former Nittany Lions were selected, and twice players were chosen back-to-back. After a good day for the program, we will see you all tomorrow at noon for the fourth round.

11:09 p.m. — Tre Tucker < Trey Wallace

11:07 p.m. — O.K., this is freaky.

11:03 p.m. Michigan’s kicker just got drafted, but he can kick longer than 50 yards.

11:03 p.m. — In retrospect, it’s very funny that Brian Cushing made this pick.

11:02 p.m. — San Francisco seems happy with its pick.

11:01 p.m. —

10:49 p.m. — B1G ➡ NFL

10:48 p.m. — Joey Porter Jr. mentioned.

10:44 p.m. — Barney Amor next up, right?

10:40 p.m. — From Anthony Pointdexter, the Nittany Lions’ safeties coach:

10:39 p.m. — From community college to the NFL, Jaquan Brisker and Brown go way back.

10:37 p.m. —

Ji’Ayir Brown Drafted No. 87 Overall By San Francisco 49ers

10:36 p.m. — Obligatory drippy James pic.

10:35 p.m. — The football gods saw that Penn State was upset by not getting JPJ drafted on Thursday so they gave the program four picks in three and a half hours.

10:33 p.m. — Porter is still a yinzer (is that how you say it?)

10:32 p.m. It’s time to reminisce.

10:31 p.m. — Sure thing, Ja’Juan.

10:30 p.m. —

10:29 p.m. — Brown is also the fourth Nittany Lion selected this evening and the fifth if you count Levis.

10:27 p.m. — Ji’Ayir Brown is the San Francisco 49ers’ first selection of the night and the No. 87 overall pick!

10:27 p.m. — TIG!!!!

10:21 p.m. — “Brenton Strange doesn’t have the speed to be a modern NFL tight end!” Yeah, but have you considered that he’s a battering ram?

10:18 p.m. — JPJ is ready.

10:16 p.m. — A statement from Scruggs’ positional coach:

10:08 p.m. — On a call with media, Juice Scruggs said that he wasn’t expecting to get a call until the third round. Instead, his phone rang in the second, paired with the words “You are a Houston Texan.”

10:03 p.m. — There are 23 picks left tonight, in case you were wondering. Time is running out for a few more Penn Staters to hear their names tonight.

9:59 p.m. — In case you forgot how good Juice Scruggs is.

9:42 p.m. — Dawg.

9:39 p.m. — Tough look for Pitt.

9:24 p.m. — Now that’s what we call consistency.

9:23 p.m. —

Juice Scruggs Drafted No. 62 Overall By Houston Texans

9:22 p.m. — Drake is going crazy right now.

9:19 p.m. — There’s nothing quite like some good Brenton Strange highlights.

9:18 p.m. —

Brenton Strange Drafted No. 61 Overall By Jacksonville Jaguars

9:17 p.m. — Scruggs is also the first center from Penn State to be selected since Michal Menet in 2021.

9:16 p.m. —

https://twitter.com/HoustonTexans/status/1652117996372910081

9:16 p.m. —

9:15 p.m. — Us too, Penn State football social media team.

9:14 p.m. —

9:13 p.m. — You heard the man.

9:12 p.m. —

9:12 p.m. — We see you, Jahan!

9:11 p.m. —

9:11 p.m. — Former Penn State center Juice Scruggs is heading to the Houston Texans! That’s two Penn Staters at the end of the second round!

9:10 p.m. BACK TO BACK AGAIN! JUUUUUUUUIIIIICE!

9:10 p.m. — Did someone say Tight End U?

9:09 p.m. —

9:06 p.m. — Former Nittany Lion tight end Brenton Strange is going to the Jacksonville Jaguars!

9:05 p.m. — BRENTON. STRANGE. DUVALLLLLLLL.

9:02 p.m. — Michigan’s DJ Turner II is going to the Cincinnati Bengals as we near the end of the second round.

8:55 p.m. — After an impassioned introduction speech, Michigan’s Luke Schoonmaker will be the next tight end of the Dallas Cowboys. Schoonmaker notably lost the final game of his collegiate career.

8:52 p.m. — Saquon Barkley will have a new lineman; center John Michael Schmitz is joining the New York Giants. Another Big Ten center taken before Juice Scruggs…

8:32 p.m. — South Carolina’s Cam Smith is the newest cornerback of Champs enthusiast Mike McDaniel as he heads to the Miami Dolphins.

8:28 p.m. — Former Wisconsin defensive tackle Keeanu Benton is the second Big Ten defender to get a call from the Pittsburgh Steelers tonight.

8:23 p.m. — Cody Mauch, indisputably the best player to ever come out of North Dakota State, just got selected to join Chris Godwin and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

8:21 p.m. — The picks are coming in hot and heavy. At this rate, Ji’Ayir Brown might get drafted before we all fall asleep on the couch.

8:14 p.m. — Pittsburgh has that Big Ten defense.

8:12 p.m. —

8:09 p.m. —

8:03 p.m. — Center Joe Tippmann of Wisconsin was just selected by the New York Jets. Someone tell them that’s the wrong Big Ten center.

7:59 p.m. — Luke Musgrave is the fourth tight end selected tonight that hasn’t won a Rose Bowl…

7:51 p.m. — Isaiah Foskey of faux Big Ten school Notre Dame was just drafted by the New Orleans Saints.

7:45 p.m. — This is… weird.

7:45 p.m. — Time to take a deep breath. Safety Ji’Ayir Brown is expected to be the next Nittany Lion to hear his name called tonight, though he could fall to the fourth round.

7:38 p.m. — We are still waiting for a comment from avid Will Levis fan and former Penn State tight end Adam Breneman.

7:35 p.m. —

7:34 p.m. — As we’re talking about Nittany Lions who are departing the program, take a look at someone who committed to join the program today.

7:33 p.m. —

7:31 p.m. — Penn State -> Pittsburgh is nothing new.

7:30 p.m. —

7:29 p.m. — JPJ highlight reel? JPJ highlight reel.

7:28 p.m. —

Former Penn State Quarterback Will Levis Drafted No. 33 Overall By Tennessee Titans

7:26 p.m. —

7:25 p.m. — Former Penn State tight end Pat Friermuth is PUMPED.

7:24 p.m. — Levis is a former Penn State quarterback who transferred to Kentucky after Sean Clifford beat him out for the starting job.

7:23 p.m. —

https://twitter.com/OnwardState/status/1652090820059619330

7:23 p.m. Levis had the second-best odds to be the first overall selection last night but slipped out of the first round. The Titans traded up to the No. 33 overall pick to snag him early tonight.

7:22 p.m. THAT’S BACK TO BACK! WILL LEVIS IS GOING TO THE TENNESSEE TITANS!

7:21 p.m. The best in PA stay in PA and play for… the Pittsburgh Steelers?

7:20 p.m. — James Franklin gives his former DB a shout:

7:18 p.m. — Porter was expected to be the first-ever Penn State cornerback to be drafted in the first round but still ends up as the highest-drafted DB in Nittany Lion history.

7:18 p.m. —

Joey Porter Jr. Drafted No. 32 Overall By Pittsburgh Steelers

7:17 p.m. — Porter is the first Nittany Lion selected in this year’s draft. He was expected to fall in the first round but ended up as the first pick of the second round.

7:16 p.m. —

7:14 p.m. — JOEY PORTER JR., YOU ARE A PITTSBURGH STEELER!

7:13 p.m. — Ian Rapoport just said that the Steelers like Porter and that there are a lot of teams that would trade up to get him.

7:09 p.m. — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is out on stage, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are on the clock. They have seven minutes.

6:51 p.m. Levis reportedly flew home to Connecticut after he didn’t hear his name last night. He’s watching the draft with family and friends.

6:50 p.m. — We’re just about set for the second round of the NFL Draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers will be on the clock first with a chance to draft the son of a team legend in Porter. Levis and safety Ji’Ayir Brown are also expecting to hear their names called tonight.

6 p.m. — Day Two of the 2023 NFL Draft is set to kick off in about an hour. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and former Penn State quarterback Will Levis are expected to hear their names called early on tonight.

Day One

12:05 a.m. – Surprisingly, neither Will Levis nor Joey Porter Jr. were drafted in the first round. However, it’s very likely they’ll be among the top picks in the second round. This concludes Onward State’s coverage of the first round, and we’ll be right back here for round two at 7 p.m. ET.

11:55 p.m. – With the No. 31 overall selection and final pick of the first round, the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs select…Kansas State defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

11:45 p.m. – With the No. 30 overall pick, the Philadelphia Eagles select Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith.

11:36 p.m. – Another Tiger is off the board. With the No. 29 overall pick, the Saints select defensive lineman Bryan Bresee.

11:28 p.m. – Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy is off to Cincy. The Bengals are selecting him with the No. 28 overall pick.

11:25 p.m. – The Jacksonville Jaguars are selecting Oklahoma offensive lineman Anton Harrison with the No. 27 overall pick. DUUUVAL?

11:19 p.m. – That team in Dallas selects Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith with the No. 26 overall pick.

11:11 p.m. – After trading up, the Buffalo Bills have selected Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid with the No. 25 overall pick. He notably did not play in Penn State’s win over the Utes in the Rose Bowl.

11:04 p.m. – The New York Giants have moved up to Jacksonville’s No. 24 overall pick to select Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks. The wide receiver streak is over.

10:56 p.m. – ANOTHER WIDE RECEIVER. Minnesota selects USC wideout Jordan Addison with the No. 23 overall pick. That’s now four in a row.

10:46 p.m. – The Baltimore Ravens are selecting Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers at No. 22 overall. He’s the third consecutive receiver to be drafted. This is a great day for Lamar Jackson, who got paid, and, perhaps his future WR1 on the same day, which is a big deal for a team that finished last in receiving yards last season.

10:38 p.m. – Another wideout is off the board. This time, the Chargers are taking TCU’s Quentin Johnston at No. 21 overall. He should be fun to watch alongside Keenan Allen and Mike Williams!

10:31 p.m. – With the No. 20 overall pick, the Seattle Seahawks select…Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks become the latest team needing a quarterback to pass up on Levis.

10:21 p.m. – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are selecting Pitt defensive lineman Calijah Kancey with the No. 19 overall pick.

10:18 p.m. – With its second pick of the night, Detroit selects…Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell.

10:09 p.m. – Christian Gonzalez is off to the New England Patriots. The Patriots are selecting the Oregon cornerback with the No. 17 overall pick. Still no Joey Porter Jr. or Will Levis, surprisingly.

10:07 p.m. – With the No. 16 overall pick, The Washington Commanders select…Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes!

10:00 p.m. – With the first draft pick of the Aaron Rodgers era in New York, the Jets select Iowa State linebacker Will McDonald IV with the No. 15 overall pick.

9:49 p.m. – ANOTHER TRADE! This time, the Steelers have moved up to take the Patriots’ No. 14 overall pick. And…they select Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones.

9:43 p.m. – The Green Bay Packers are selecting defensive end Lukas Van Ness with the No. 13 overall pick.

9:37 p.m. – Woah. Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs just got drafted by the Detroit Lions with the No. 12 overall pick. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with D’Andre Swift now.

9:35 p.m. – Northwestern offensive lineman Peter Skoronski is selected by the Tennessee Titans with the No. 11 overall pick. We could be approaching the territory where a certain cornerback is selected very soon. Stay tuned…

9:27 p.m. – Tennessee offensive lineman Darnell Wright is headed to Chicago with the No. 10 overall pick. Justin Fields now has some help up front.

9:20 p.m. – The Philadelphia Eagles have moved up to the No. 9 overall pick. With that pick, Philly selects Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter.

9:14 p.m. – Atlanta selects Texas running back Bijan Robinson with the No. 8 overall pick. He’s the first running back taken in the draft, and is viewed by some as potentially a generational talent.

9:05 p.m. – Tyree Wilson is going to Vegas! The Raiders are selecting the Texas Tech edge rusher with the No. 7 overall pick.

8:58 p.m. – WE HAVE ANOTHER TRADE. Arizona moves up to Detroit’s No. 6 overall pick. With that pick, the Cardinals select Ohio State offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr. Kyler Murray’s O-line might’ve just gotten much better, guys.

8:50 p.m. – Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon is the first cornerback taken in this draft. He’s off to Seattle with the No. 5 overall pick. That’s arguably the first “surprise” of the draft.

8:40 p.m. – The Indianapolis Colts are selecting Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson at No. 4 overall.

8:34 p.m. – TRADE ALERT: The Cardinals have traded their No. 3 overall pick to…the Texans! With that pick, the Texans are bringing Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. to the Lone Star State.

8:26 p.m. – The Houston Texans are selecting Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick.

8:19 p.m. – With the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers select…Alabama quarterback Bryce Young!

8:12 p.m. – The NFL Draft is officially open and the Carolina Panthers are on the clock!

8:10 p.m. – Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are now on the stage. Mahomes is hoisting that Lombardi the Chiefs won against the Eagles in the Super Bowl high in the sky!

8:08 p.m. – Roger Goodell as usual walks onto the stage to a chorus of boos. “C’mon,” he says, egging the crowd on for more booing.

7:57 p.m. – Joey Porter Jr. is being interviewed on ESPN right now. He says he thinks his dad will cry more than his mom when he gets drafted.

7:50 p.m. – The National Anthem was just performed, which got capped off by a flyover. 10 minutes to go and counting!

7:45 p.m. – The three football players who were victims of last year’s shooting at the University of Virginia are being honored right now. Goodell and former Virginia standout D’Brickashaw Ferguson spoke, and invited the families of the victims onto the stage.

7:40 p.m. – Several top prospects, including Joey Porter Jr., were introduced on the stage in Kansas City alongside Goodell.

7:15 p.m. – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is being interviewed on ESPN. We are 45 minutes away from the start of the draft.

7 p.m. – Welcome to Onward State’s coverage of the 2023 NFL Draft, everyone. Follow along throughout the next few days as several Penn Staters are likely to hear their names called.

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