Five former Penn State football players wrapped up their college careers by hearing their names called at the 2025 NFL Draft, with four additional Nittany Lions signing with NFL teams as undrafted free agents.

Penn State fans notably saw Abdul Carter and Tyler Warren find new homes within the first 15 picks, but which Nittany Lions will have their football dreams come true in Pittsburgh in a year? We decided to look at where they fall in early 2026 mock drafts.

Brent Sobleski & Matt Holder (Bleacher Report)

Bleacher Report’s first 2026 mock draft has Drew Allar going to the Indianapolis Colts with the No. 7 overall pick. Allar is shaping up to be one of the premier quarterbacks in next year’s draft class, and a strong 2026 campaign could propel him to a top 10 selection.

“The former 5-star recruit has the size and ample arm talent to lead an NFL franchise at a high level,” Sobleski and Holder said. “As long as he continues to show improvement with his decision-making and overall consistency, he should easily find himself in the top-10 conversation, thus allowing the Colts to restart at the game’s most important position with a more traditional option.”

The selection would also notably pair Allar with Warren, only a year separated from the duo’s most efficient college season together, setting the stage for an exciting offensive pairing. If this happens, Allar would be the first Penn State quarterback drafted since Sean Clifford in 2023 and the highest Penn State quarterback selection since Kerry Collins went No. 5 in 1995.

In addition, Sobleski and Holder’s projection has cornerback Elliott Washington II going to the Cincinnati Bengals with the 26th overall pick. Washington has made strides through spring ball, receiving praise from defensive coordinator Jim Knowles ahead of Penn State’s Blue-White Game.

“There’s a level of upside with Washington that could easily place him in the first-round conversation,” Sobleski and Holder said. “He’s an elite athlete who has continually stolen the show during Penn State’s offseason workout sessions, including being named ‘competitor of the day’ throughout all of the winter workouts.”

Sobleski and Holder do acknowledge that A.J. Harris would be the more reasonable first-round selection out of Penn State’s defensive backs, but Washington’s potential and versatility in the secondary prove to be more valuable for the Bengals.

Keith Sanchez (The Draft Network)

Keith Sanchez has the Dallas Cowboys picking up Nick Singleton with the No. 13 overall pick in 2026. The Cowboys drafted two running backs in 2025, but only time will tell if Dallas’ problems in the backfield persist going into the offseason next year.

Singleton is the only Nittany Lion off of Sanchez’s board in the first round. In this situation, he would be Penn State’s 11th running back to be drafted in the first round.

Rob Rang (FOX Sports)

Two Penn Staters go back-to-back in the first round in Rob Rang’s way-too-early mock draft, with Nick Singleton going to the Arizona Cardinals and Dani Dennis-Sutton becoming a Miami Dolphin with the No. 12 and No. 13 overall picks.

This outcome would make it the second consecutive year where two Nittany Lions come off the board within the top 15 picks. Dennis-Sutton would also join former Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson as Miami Dolphins first-round picks at the position. Robinson went No. 21 overall to Miami in the 2024 NFL Draft.

“Singleton is a true bell-cow back with breakaway speed, who at this early juncture would seem to be a steal at this portion of the draft,” Rang said of the running back.

As for the selection of Dennis-Sutton, Rang said, “When healthy, the Dolphins boast two of the better edge rushers in the league in Jaelen Phillips and Bradley Chubb. But with the former entering the final year of his rookie contract, Miami will at the very least consider other options.”

Rang’s first-round Penn State love doesn’t end with Singleton and Dennis-Sutton. He also has cornerback A.J. Harris heading to the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 22 overall pick.

“Whether it be along the offensive line, linebacker, or even defensive back, playing for Jim Harbaugh requires a great deal of physicality,” Rang said. “Harris stands out in that regard, showing the tenacity and awareness to battle receivers at the catch point, as well as in run support.”

Harris would add to a talented Chargers defensive back room that is only getting better and better under Harbaugh.

Josh Edwards (CBS Sports)

Edwards has Allar going the highest of all the way-too-early mocks in this group. He thinks the Cleveland Browns will pick up the Medina, Ohio, native with the No. 2 overall pick.

There’s no doubt that Allar is one of the premier quarterbacks in college football going into the 2025 season. The word “Heisman” has floated around his name, and if he goes No. 2 overall a year from now, it’s possible that everything finally clicked for him in his final year at Penn State.

“Allar is an unrefined product, but he has a lot of traits that will appeal to NFL teams,” Edwards said. “The Ohio native grew up wanting to play for Cleveland. The Browns are clearly stockpiling picks to either take their quarterback of choice or move around to get that player. The third-round selection of Dillon Gabriel and fifth-round selection of Shedeur Sanders is not going to change that fact.”

Allar would certainly add to a crowded Browns quarterback room no matter what happens within the group during the 2025 NFL season. It’s extremely possible that Allar does end up having a stellar season and moving up mock drafts just like this in the next year.

Dennis-Sutton also makes an appearance on Edwards’ mock draft, representing the final pick of the first round at No. 32 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles would add another Nittany Lion to their roster and bolster their young defensive core.

“Penn State does not sign defenders with a low athletic floor,” Edwards said. “Dennis-Sutton has the ceiling to reach this point, and the Eagles would be more than obliged to take him in the first round given their track record addressing the offensive and defensive lines early.”