Despite a tremendously disappointing 2025 season, Penn State football enters the 2026 NFL Draft with a smattering of seniors ready to move on and start their NFL careers later this month.

As we get closer to the draft, certain publications begin expanding their mock drafts past the first round to show some love to the several hundred prospects who will hear their names called in Pittsburgh in just over a week. As many as nine Nittany Lions are projected to be selected, so where could their future homes be?

Vega Ioane

Titans, No. 4 overall – Rob Rang (FOX Sports): Does this count as a mock draft? FOX Sports’ most recent “mock” pairs teams up with their biggest needs, and the Tennessee Titans just so happen to need some help at guard, which is where Ioane comes in. Rob Rang acknowledged it as a reach, but said that protecting Cam Ward at all costs should be their biggest priority in the draft.

Ravens, No. 14 overall – Bradley Locker (PFF): In the latest Pro Football Focus mock draft, Ioane falls into the lap of the Baltimore Ravens as the first draft pick in the Jesse Minter era. As the team transitions from nearly two decades with John Harbaugh leading the way, the consensus No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the draft would be a fine addition to the trenches to protect Lamar Jackson.

Buccaneers, No. 15 overall – Mike Renner (CBS Sports): Tampa Bay had a disappointing 2025 season and could be looking to improve upon a middle-of-the-pack offensive line. In picking Ioane, Mike Renner notes that he would likely line up next to All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs to create one of the best left-sides in the league to protect Baker Mayfield.

Jets, No. 16 – Nate Tice (Yahoo Sports): How about a reunion? Nate Tice has Ioane falling to No. 16, where he’ll reunite with fellow All-American and first-round lineman Olu Fashanu. With the Jets losing a pair of guards in free agency, there’s room for Ioane to improve a unit that’s already found promising pieces at both tackles, and in a draft class without a second notable quarterback, building the trenches first never hurts.

Lions, No. 17 – Peter Schrager (ESPN): Detroit has parted ways with several veteran offensive linemen since their season ended abruptly with no postseason, so Peter Schrager suggests pairing head coach Dan Campbell with a player that he says is the most “Dan Campbell” player in this draft.

Steelers, No. 21 – Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (USA Today): For a player with the level of talent that Ioane possesses, falling out of the top 20 seems hard to believe, but that’s where USA Today thinks that positional value will drag the consensus No. 1 guard down. At least if this happens, he’ll stay in Pennsylvania?

Dani Dennis-Sutton

Dolphins, No. 43 overall – Nick Baumgardner (The Athletic): A strong 2025 season could’ve seen Dennis-Sutton move into Day 1 territory, but most mock drafts have seemed to settle on him being picked at some point on Day 2, likely in the second round. Nick Baumgardner is the most optimistic of the bunch, predicting Dennis-Sutton joins former Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson to harass AFC East quarterbacks for years to come.

Lions, No. 50 overall – Mike Renner (CBS Sports): At one point, the biggest issue for the Lions was their defense, but an infusion of talent into that side of the ball promised to balance the scales in 2025 until a massive injury bug decimated that rebuilt defense and led to them missing the playoffs. This is a place that Dennis-Sutton could especially thrive, as Aidan Hutchinson will draw a lot of attention on the defensive line and give the Delaware native a role similar to the one he played next to Abdul Carter in his breakout 2024 season.

Texans, No. 59 overall – Chad Reuter (NFL.com): In a five-round mock published in early April, Chad Reuter has Dennis-Sutton as the only other Nittany Lion aside from Ioane to be picked in the first two rounds. He likely wouldn’t start in Houston with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter in tow, but with Hunter turning 32 in October, it may not be long.

Raiders, No. 67 overall – Cody Williams (FanSided): Just as in the NFL.com mock, Dennis-Sutton is the second Nittany Lion off the board in FanSided’s latest three-round mock draft, swapping out his blue and white for silver and black. With Maxx Crosby’s status in question with his medicals and desire to be traded, Dennis-Sutton could be a needed talent infusion for that defense.

49ers, No. 92 overall – Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): There’s a lot of talent throughout the roster of the San Francisco 49ers, but the team routinely deals with massive injuries up and down the roster, meaning an opportunity could open up at some point for a talented player like Dennis-Sutton.

Cowboys, No. 112 overall – Matt Miller (ESPN): The only one of these mocks to have Dennis-Sutton falling to the fourth round, Matt Miller has him going to the Dallas Cowboys to, at least, partially fill the gaping hole left by the Micah Parsons trade. The Cowboys had one of the worst defenses in football last year and need someone who can get after the quarterback. It would be a steal if he fell here.

Zane Durant

Texans, No. 69 overall – Mike Renner (CBS Sports): Durant’s projections are all over the place, but one of CBS Sports’ recent mock drafts believes he could go very early in the third round to the Texans. On a defensive line with several tremendous pass rushers, adding an athletic run-stuffer like Durant could add to an already ferocious defense.

Raiders, No. 134 overall – Josh Edwards (CBS Sports): Most mock drafts have Durant landing in the fourth or fifth rounds, and Josh Edwards believes he’ll go late in the fourth round to the Raiders. After a bleak 2025 season, they could definitely use some help on the interior defensive line.

Eagles, No. 137 overall – Chad Reuter (NFL.com): Durant may be from Florida, but Reuter has him staying home in Pennsylvania by sending him to the Eagles. Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter already make up a formidable interior defensive line, but Durant could add another athletic freak into the mix for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Saints, No. 172 overall – Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): New Orleans has a rather sparse depth chart on its defensive line and could use adding someone like Durant in the draft. A late fifth-round pick might not be someone you expect to start right away, but this is the type of place that he’d have an opportunity to compete.

Bengals, No. 226 overall – Matt Miller (ESPN): Durant didn’t have the strongest 2025 season after choosing to “run it back” with his teammates, so some mock drafts have him sliding as far as the seventh round. While his tremendous traits figure to give him a low enough floor that he shouldn’t fall this far, he’d be an asset to whoever selects him if he did, especially a Cincinnati Bengals team with longstanding defensive issues.

Drew Allar

Rams, No. 61 overall – Matt Miller (ESPN): As someone who wants the best for Allar’s NFL career, given the relative obscurity of Penn State quarterbacks in the pros, this is the best possible landing spot. The Rams will have to eventually replace 2025 NFL MVP Matthew Stafford, who, despite his stellar performance, is 39 years old. Bringing in Allar to be mentored by Stafford and molded by offensive guru Sean McVay is a dream spot for him to be a successful quarterback.

Cardinals, No. 104 overall – Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): The Kyler Murray era ended with a whimper in Arizona, as the former No. 1 overall pick was released in March after seven seasons. Veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II are currently entrenched as the stopgap options for 2026, but they may choose to add a rookie into the mix with their early fourth-round pick.

Browns, No. 107 overall – Chris Easterling (Akron Beacon Journal): There’s something poetic about a kid going to his childhood team, but that’s what could happen if the Cleveland Browns take another swing at a quarterback in 2026. With a complicated QB room that comprises Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, and Deshaun Watson, there’d be ample room for Allar to come in and impress new head coach Todd Monken and get to live out his dreams in his home state.

Dolphins, No. 130 overall – Ben Solak (ESPN): In a unique, quarterback-only mock draft, Solak has Allar falling late in the fourth round to be selected by the downtrodden Miami Dolphins, who absorbed an exceptionally large cap hit by cutting former quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in March. Malik Willis currently has the keys in South Beach, but if Jeff Hafley and his staff can find a way to mold the toolsy Allar into a starting NFL quarterback, he’ll be able to spend his career making up for the last time he threw a pass in Hard Rock Stadium.

Jets, No. 140 overall – Josh Edwards (CBS Sports): Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is the slam-dunk No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, but there aren’t any other quarterbacks that seem to be in the same discussion. Alabama’s Ty Simpson, Miami’s Carson Beck, and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, along with Allar, have been named as potential lottery tickets for quarterback-needy teams to take after Day 1. If the Jets don’t want to draft any of these guys early and Allar falls into their lap at the end of the fourth round, that’s not a bad pick to make.

Rams, No. 157 overall – Chad Reuter (NFL.com): If the Rams come up to draft in the fifth round and Allar is still on the board, it feels like an easy pick. There are reasons why Allar might fall in the draft despite a strong Combine and Pro Day performance, but it shouldn’t get as far as here.

Zakee Wheatley

Eagles, No. 68 overall – Josh Edwards (CBS Sports): There’s been plenty of Penn State alums who’ve gone on to succeed within the state of Pennsylvania in the NFL, and Wheatley could be next. After losing Reed Blankenship in free agency, the Eagles could be in the market for a safety, where Wheatley is projected to be scooped up by them early in the third round.

Panthers, No. 83 overall – Matt Miller (ESPN): The Panthers already feature one former Penn State safety, Nick Scott, so what if they added another in the third round? Scott and Tre’Von Moehrig currently hold the starting spots in Carolina’s secondary, but Wheatley would get his fair share of snaps right away.

Dolphins, No. 90 overall – Nick Baumgardner (The Athletic): Baumgardner has Wheatley reuniting with Dennis-Sutton in Miami, predicting that the Dolphins will use two of their four picks on Day 2 to select Penn Staters. Imagine three Nittany Lions starting on the same defense!

Bills, No. 91 overall – Cody Williams (FanSided): One of the weaknesses of the Buffalo Bills for the past several years has been their secondary, especially in the safety room. While they’ve been aggressive in getting veteran stopgaps at the position in free agency, they’d be wise to draft one as well, and that’s where Wheatley comes in. He’d be a good value at the end of the third round.

Panthers, No. 119 overall – Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): Carolina was mocked to take Wheatley in the third round in a different mock, so getting him 36 picks later would be much better for them value-wise.

Browns, No. 149 overall – Chad Reuter (NFL.com): This is the only mock draft that has the former Penn State captain falling to the fifth round, and if that were the case, he’d be a steal for the Browns. There’s talent in Cleveland’s secondary, but to add a player like Wheatley with a Day 3 draft pick would be crucial for their depth.

Kaytron Allen

Dolphins, No. 90 overall – Chad Reuter (NFL.com): Only one mock draft has Allen going on Day 2, and that’s Reuter mocking him to the Dolphins, where he would sit behind star running back De’Von Achane, competing with Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II for backup reps.

Broncos, No. 111 overall – Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): Early in the fourth round, the Broncos could use a guy like Allen to fortify their run game. RJ Harvey had a strong 2025 season, but could benefit from having a smashmouth runner to complement his strengths in the passing game. JK Dobbins’ longstanding injury troubles make adding depth needed.

Steelers, No. 161 overall – Matt Miller (ESPN): There are a lot of bodies in the Steelers’ running back room, but keeping Allen in-state would add a new dimension to a team that already has Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle, and Kaleb Johnson. With Mike Tomlin gone, he might not have to go through what Johnson did last year.

Patriots, No. 212 overall – Josh Edwards (CBS Sports): Penn State’s all-time leading rusher should not fall to the end of the sixth round. It’d also be discouraging to see him play behind former Ohio State running back Tre’Veyon Henderson.

Nick Singleton

Texans, No. 106 overall – Matt Miller (ESPN): After a disappointing senior year hurt his stock, Singleton could have a path to playing time in a Texans room that features goal-line specialist David Montgomery and Woody Marks.

Jaguars, No. 124 overall – Chad Reuter (NFL.com): Travis Etienne Jr. is gone, so Jacksonville will be looking to fortify their running game around Bhayshul Tuten. Singleton would be a nice addition in the fourth round.

Browns, No. 146 overall – Josh Edwards (CBS Sports): Quinshon Judkins had some off-field issues that delayed his 2025 breakout, but the Ohio State product will lead this room. If selected in the fifth round, could a healthy Singleton make an impact?

Panthers, No. 159 overall – Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): The Panthers chose to retain Chuba Hubbard over Dowdle this offseason and need a new change-of-pace backup. Singleton could be their man and would be a steal in the middle of the fifth round.

Drew Shelton

Packers, No. 120 overall – Josh Edwards (CBS Sports): Shelton profiles as a Day 3 pick, but Edwards has him going as high as the fourth round to the Packers after losing former Penn State tackle Rasheed Walker to free agency.

Eagles, No. 153 overall – Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): While the offensive line has been a strength of the Eagles for a long time, several linemen are contemplating retirement in the near future. They’ll need an infusion of depth, and the Chester County native would be a fan favorite.

Broncos, No. 170 overall – Matt Miller (ESPN): Denver could use a swing tackle behind Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey. Shelton’s versatility could be useful.

Nolan Rucci

Bills, No. 182 overall – Josh Edwards (CBS Sports): Edwards has Rucci going to Buffalo to open the sixth round to fill a potential swing tackle role. At this point in the draft, though, roles are earned, not given.

Buccaneers, No. 195 overall – Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): Wirfs and Luke Goedeke are entrenched as Tampa Bay’s starting tackles, but Rucci could slide into a backup role in a rather bare depth chart.