We’re now through seven weeks of the NFL season, and talks of the 2026 NFL Draft are starting to arise.

While it’s important to note that mock drafts being published this soon will almost certainly not be very close to what we’ll see in April, it’s still useful to see what players are making an impression on NFL scouts.

Let’s take a look and see how the draft-eligible Nittany Lions are being seen by top analysts and how their outlook is at this point in the scouting cycle.

Mike Renner (CBS Sports)

Mike Renner’s latest mock draft only covers the first round. Regardless, he still includes one Penn State player, that being interior offensive lineman Vega Ioane. Renner has him mocked to go No. 17 overall to the Houston Texans.

“He’s already a dominant pass protector,” Renner wrote. “He’s only allowed one pressure all season and can be a Day 1 starter for the Texans.”

Ioane would join Nittany Lions Jaylen Reed and Juice Scruggs on the Texans.

Tankathon

In Tankathon’s latest three-round mock draft, it has six Nittany Lions taken in the first 100 picks. Again, Ioane was the lone first-rounder. This time, mocked to go No. 29 to the New England Patriots.

In the second round, a trio of Penn Staters are projected to be drafted. Defensive Back A.J. Harris, being the first of the bunch, is predicted to be drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 38. Shortly after, Dani Dennis-Sutton and Nicholas Singleton are projected to go No. 47 and 50th, respectively.

Dennis-Sutton would fill the edge rusher void in Dallas. Of course, that void was created after former Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons was traded away from the Cowboys, so it’s fitting they would find another Penn Stater to replace him. The simulator has Singleton going to the Bears and joining a Penn State alum in Jaquan Brisker.

To kick off the third round, Tankathon has the Philadelphia Eagles selecting offensive tackle Drew Shelton at No. 65. Finally, the Raiders would take their second Nittany Lion of the draft in quarterback Drew Allar. Allar was seen as a potential first-round pick last year, but after staying for his senior season and suffering a season-ending ankle injury, Allar is projected to fall.

Luke Easterling (Athlon Sports)

In Easterling’s two-round mock, he projects three Nittany Lions going in the first 64 picks. Unlike other mock drafts, Easterling sees Dennis-Sutton as the lone Penn Stater off the board in the first round. He has him mocked to the New England Patriots at No. 29.

“Dennis-Sutton brings a rare blend of size, athleticism, and versatility to the table, with the ability to get after the quarterback off the edge, blow up running plays in the backfield, and even drop into coverage and close down passing lanes with his height and length,” Easterling wrote.

In the second round, Easterling’s simulation has A.J. Harris going No. 41 to the Cleveland Browns. A pick later, he has Ioane landing with the Texans.

Mel Kiper (ESPN)

While Mel Kiper hasn’t released any of his famous mock drafts just yet, he has put out his position rankings and his big board. Among Nittany Lions, he was the highest on Ioane, ranking him No. 1 among all interior offensive linemen. Overall, it seems as though Ioane certainly has the highest chance of being picked in the first round of all the Nittany Lions.

Allar scraped his way into Kiper’s quarterback rankings at No. 10, while Penn State had two running backs inside the top 10. Singleton was picked at No. 6, and Kaytron Allen was ranked at No. 8.

On the defensive side of the ball, Kiper had Dennis-Sutton ranked as the fifth-best defensive end in the country. He was also high on some of the Penn State defensive backs, ranking Harris as the No. 9 cornerback and Zakee Wheatley as the No. 6 safety.

Many Nittany Lions will have their names called when the draft comes in April. While mock drafts at this time exclude Penn State players from the first round of their projections, there is still plenty of time for players to rise and fall.