Happy NFL Draft day to all who celebrate.

This year, 11 Penn State football players have NFL potential, with two Nittany Lions expected to be taken off the board in the first round.

Our staff decided to predict where each member of this year’s Nittany Lion draft class will be chosen.

Abdul Carter

Collin Ward: New York Giants, third overall. Keep it simple, Carter is arguably the best player in this draft class and should be drafted as so. With Cam Ward, a quarterback, and Travis Hunter, a potential generational two-way player, it’s likely the Nittany Lions will fall to No. 3. Teaming up with Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns, and Dexter Lawrence will make for one of the best defensive lines in the league. Reminds me of the Giants teams I knew growing up.

Oscar Orellana: New York Giants, third overall. The Giants can’t overthink this pick. Carter would drastically help and revitalize a New York defense looking to make some noise in the NFC in tandem with NFL veterans Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns. With most mock drafts having the top two picks established, Carter is right there for New York’s taking to round out the top three picks.

Cooper Cazares: New York Giants, third overall. It appears the premier edge rusher will land in New York. Despite what most thought was a slam-dunk pick for the Browns has quickly shifted to a tossup between Abdul Carter and Colorado’s Travis Hunter. I believe the Browns are going to aim for a splashy, two-way player with Hunter and therefore leave Carter for the Giants with the No. 3 pick overall. Carter, who is originally from Philadelphia, will play against his hometown team twice a year and join fellow Penn State football alumni in the NFC East, such as Cowboys edge Micah Parsons and Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. 

Tyler Warren

Collin Ward: Indianapolis Colts, 14th overall. Warren’s draft stock seems to be rising in the media right now, but I think it’s all smoke and mirrors. The Jets (No. 7) and the Saints (No. 9) have other needs right now, and there is just too much talent at the front of the draft to take a tight end. The Bears at No. 10 wouldn’t surprise me because Ben Johnson loves his two-tight end looks, but I think they will grab that position on day two.

Oscar Orellana: Indianapolis Colts, 14th overall. The Colts have a glaring need at tight end that Warren could easily fill. Warren ended last season with the seventh-most receiving yards in the nation on 104 receptions. He is the most complete tight end in the draft and would be a pair of extra safe hands for a Colts team in a convoluted quarterback situation right now. He’d be the day one starter and could really give the Colts a sense of direction on offense. 

Cooper Cazares: Indianapolis Colts, 14th overall. The Colts drafting a high-caliber tight end such as Tyler Warren feels like a safe pick. The only challenge will be if the Nittany Lion drops this far in the draft. Mock drafts have a couple of different landing spots for Warren, including the New York Jets at No. 7 and the Chicago Bears at No. 10. As Penn State’s leading receiver, Warren is a top-10 talent in this year’s draft, making him a clear steal with the No. 14 overall pick. Indianapolis needs a reliable tight end as the position group only produced three touchdowns last season. 

KJ Winston

Collin Ward: Chicago Bears, third round, 72nd overall. This was the hardest player to choose for this draft. I can see him going much earlier in the second round to a team like the Vikings or the Chiefs. However, it’s too perfect a situation for the Bears to pass if he falls. With Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard playing, Winston can develop without too large of a role for a season. Both Brisker and Byard’s contracts run out next season. 

Oscar Orellana: Cincinnati Bengals, third round, 81st overall. Winston was projected to be a first-round pick before his injury during the 2024 season, but his strong play at the safety position proves useful for teams in need of secondary help. The Bengals are a team that’s struggled defensively in previous seasons, to say the least. Winston can be a breath of fresh air to a safety room currently headlined with an already-established NFL safety like Geno Stone. 

Cooper Cazares: Baltimore Ravens, second round, 59th overall. Before his season-ending injury, it wouldn’t have surprised anyone to see KJ Winston get drafted in the first round. Now, with limited time on the field, the Nittany Lion is looking like he’ll end up as a day two draft pick. Winston is a sound safety with a great mix of abilities and tools to make a solid career for himself in the NFL. I think the Maryland native finds his home in Baltimore alongside fellow safety Kyle Hamilton.  

Jaylen Reed

Collin Ward: Detroit Lions, third round, 102nd overall. Another Penn State safety goes in the third round of the draft. Reed feels like the embodiment of a Dan Campbell player. He is big and knows how to tackle, but also can play anywhere on the field. With the Lions needing some safety help and coming off a year of injuries, I think they pick Reed before many would think for his versatility. 

Oscar Orellana: Minnesota Vikings, fifth round, 139th overall. Reed’s bread and butter is in the run games and as a blitzer. He’s aggressive and works his way to the ball-carrier extremely quickly, and he’d fit right into the Vikings’ defensive backs room. Reed would add depth to the position and learn under one of the best blitzing safeties the league has ever seen in 36-year-old Harrison Smith. He’d be in line to take over the starting spot once Smith retires, making this the perfect fit for a player like Reed, who might need a little bit of time to adjust to NFL speed. 

Cooper Cazares: Cincinnati Bengals, fourth round, 119th overall. Reed has been nothing short of versatile for the Nittany Lions. What was going to be a season as the fifth defensive back in the Penn State defense swiftly turned into him taking over for KJ Winston’s absence. The Bengals desperately need defensive help, and with first-year defensive coordinator and Penn State alumnus Al Golden, Reed could slot nicely into the Cincinnati scheme. Reed’s 4.49 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine turned some heads as he showed athletic ability that could be useful when paired with his versatility and leadership. Look for Reed to compete for playing time immediately if he ends up in Cincinnati.

Kobe King

Collin Ward: Las Vegas Raiders, sixth round, 180th overall. There are a ton of teams that are looking for linebacker depth this draft, but most will be looking for off-ball guys for the pass game. The Raiders, on the other hand, need help wherever they can get it on defense. Kobe will drop a little due to his measurables and lack of pass defense while at Penn State, leaving him on a platter for Las Vegas. 

Oscar Orellana: New York Giants, fifth round, 154th overall. King is a tough, big linebacker who can really help stuff gaps in the run game. What he excels at in run defense, he lacks in coverage, but the Giants could look to put some pressure on Kayvon Thibodeaux while adding depth in the linebacker room. Thibodeux hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype, and the addition of King could kill two birds with one stone. 

Cooper Cazares: Philadelphia Eagles, fifth round, 168th overall. After losing backup linebacker Oren Burks to free agency and starting linebacker Nakobe Dean out with injury, the Eagles will aim to address the position group in this year’s draft. As one of the Penn State defensive leaders, King has experience managing pre-snap adjustments over the past two years, and although his pass coverage isn’t up to par, the Nittany Lion makes up for it in run defense. This could make him an asset to a somewhat depleted Eagles linebacker group.

Coziah Izzard

Collin Ward: New York Giants, seventh round, 246th overall. Why not, two Nittany Lions defensive linemen teaming up in New York? Izzard is an interesting prospect because his stats while with the Nittany Lions weren’t insane. On the other hand, his Pro Day was impressive, and I think teams will like his upside as a defensive tackle depth late in the seventh round.

Oscar Orellana: San Francisco 49ers, seventh round, 227th overall. Despite a lack of experience at Penn State, Izzard showcased his raw athleticism with a solid performance at Penn State’s Pro Day. That alone bumped up his draft stock in my eyes, and I think he’d fit into a 49ers organization that is stellar at developing late-round guys. San Francisco just needs some depth in the defensive line, too, and picking up Izzard late can’t hurt. 

Cooper Cazares: Los Angeles Chargers, seventh round, 256th overall. Although he didn’t have the most impressive stat line at Penn State, Izzard had one of the more impressive Pro Day performances. The Nittany Lion ran a 4.81 40-yard dash and a 4.45 shuttle with a 6’3″, 305-pound frame. I believe a team like the Chargers will take a chance on Izzard for his metrics alone, but his lack of production warrants possibly going undrafted.

Jalen Kimber

Collin Ward: San Francisco 49ers, seventh round, 227th overall. Kimber was by far the winner of Penn State’s Pro Day. The corner ran a sub-4.4 40-yard dash and impressed in the rest of the drills as well. I think he’s put enough on film to get selected late in this draft, and the Niners love speed, so it just works. 

Oscar Orellana: Buffalo Bills, sixth round, 206th overall. Kimber stole the show at Penn State’s Pro Day, showcasing his blazing speed and solid performances in drills. With the Bills growing increasingly thin at safety, I can see them snagging him late in the draft to add some new dimensions to their defensive backs room. 

Cooper Cazares: Las Vegas Raiders, sixth round, 213th overall. After being snubbed from the NFL Combine, Kimber was the clear winner of Penn State’s Pro Day. He displayed a blazing 4.39 40-yard dash and a 4.22 shuttle. Kimber has experience on the biggest of stages as he’s competed in both the SEC and Big Ten conferences. After a solid one-year campaign, Kimber has shown that he’s worth the late-round draft pick.

Dvon J-Thomas

Collin Ward: Undrafted free agent, Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars need help in a lot of places on the defense, and I think they will be looking to shore up their run defense in terms of depth.

Oscar Orellana: Undrafted free agent, Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers love big, physical defenders to plug the run up the middle. J-Thomas can serve as exactly that, albeit in a limited role. The Steelers might pick up another Penn State product to join the likes of Joey Porter Jr. on Pittsburgh’s roster already. 

Cooper Cazares: Undrafted free agent, Carolina Panthers. The Panthers had one of the worst defensive units in the NFL last season, so it would come as no surprise if they addressed the defensive front during and after the draft.

Sal Wormley

Collin Ward: Undrafted free agent, Chicago Bears. The Bears have spent a lot of capital this offseason working on the offensive line, but could use some more depth. While I don’t think Wormley will be taken in the draft, expect him to be picked up quickly after.

Oscar Orellana: Los Angeles Chargers, seventh round, 256th overall. The Chargers really need all of the offensive line help they can get, so why not just pick up Wormley with the penultimate pick of the draft? His experience speaks for itself — he played 42 games as a Nittany Lion in six seasons. Jim Harbaugh has the ability to coach him up, and with development, Wormley can be a solid rotational guard. 

Cooper Cazares: Undrafted free agent, Houston Texans. The Texans are in desperate need of offensive line depth to give star quarterback CJ Stroud time in the pocket. I would expect Wormley to be a priority pickup after the draft is over due to his three-year starting campaign with Penn State.

Amin Vanover

Collin Ward: Undrafted free agent, Los Angeles Chargers. Vanover is huge and can move pretty fast, which he proved at Penn State’s Pro Day, but he did not get enough playing time over the last few seasons to warrant a draft choice. I think Jim Harbaugh will appreciate his ability to play the edge and maybe move inside.  

Oscar Orellana: Undrafted free agent, Los Angeles Rams. In my eyes, the sole reason Vanover goes undrafted is his lack of playing time at Penn State. He’s huge and has tremendous upside, which he showcased in his Pro Day performance. Sean McVay loves his big guys coming off the edge, and with Jared Verse coming off a Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign, the Rams could look to develop and implement an edge rusher like Vanover into the rotation. 

Cooper Cazares: Undrafted free agent, Arizona Cardinals. Vanover didn’t get the playing time needed to warrant a draft pick, however, the Nittany Lion has good size and has shown some flashes of upside during his time in Happy Valley. A team like the Cardinals that needs defensive line help might scoop Vanover after the draft is over.

Julian Fleming

Collin Ward: Undrafted free agent, Philadelphia Eagles. Fleming has flashed his talent occasionally throughout his time with Ohio State and Penn State, but never lived up to the five-star hype he had out of high school. Fleming is from Catawissa, Pennsylvania, so I think the Eagles take a chance on the hometown kid, even if it’s just to be on the practice squad.

Oscar Orellana: Undrafted free agent, Baltimore Ravens. To be frank, Fleming left a lot to be desired in his sole year at Penn State and at his Pro Day. However, his size and secure hands could serve a team like the Ravens. The Ravens have become famous for their run-heavy offense under Lamar Jackson, and Fleming could contribute as a blocker and on special teams under the right development. 

Cooper Cazares: Undrafted free agent, New England Patriots. Fleming didn’t provide the fireworks that Penn State fans were expecting out of a former five-star. Despite this, Fleming showed flashes of secure catching ability, which could be enough to receive a training camp bid with a team in need of receivers, such as the Patriots.