2023 NFL Combine Profile: PJ Mustipher, Defensive Tackle
Penn State has a strong history of developing defensive linemen for the NFL, and PJ Mustipher is hoping to continue that legacy in the 2023 NFL draft. Mustipher will hope to benefit from a good experience at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis to boost his overall draft outlook after wrapping up a solid career at Penn State.
Here is a look at Mustipher as he prepares for the NFL combine.
Overview
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PJ Mustipher was a major commitment in Penn State’s Class of 2018, which was star-studded. In a class that included [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] and [autotag]Odafe Oweh[/autotag], two players who would go on to be first-round draft picks, and wide receiver [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag] and [autotag]Pat Freiermuth[/autotag], Mustipher was another four-star addition to the defensive side of the football in the recruiting class (this class also included quarterback [autotag]Will Levis[/autotag], who could be among the first few quarterbacks selected in the 2023 NFL draft after he moved on to Kentucky by way of the transfer portal).
Mustipher ended his Penn State career with 144 tackles and grew to become a viable leader in the middle of the defensive line. Mustipher earned second-team All-Big Ten from Big Ten coaches in 2022.
Strengths
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It’s hard not to see Mustipher as the perfect fit for a spot on an NFL roster. Mustipher’s size is just what NFL scouts are looking for at 6′-4″ and 326 lb (these measurements will be updated and confirmed at the combine, of course), and he brings the kind of energy on the line that makes him an attractive draft prospect.
Draft scouts have lauded Mustiphers’s ability to plug holes on the line by overpowering offensive linemen. But his strength is just one part of the scouting report…
Weaknesses
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Mustipher is still a prospect that has some drawbacks that have popped off the scouting reports. Draft analysts have noted Mustipher has room to improve off the snap as he is a tad slower than some of the other top defensive tackle prospects. Mustipher may have good power and raw strength, but being late to throw his weight around could catch up to him at the next level.
Depending on the opponent, Mustipher has either shown great use of his hands or a reason to be concerned about what he does with his hands. In the NFL, there is little room to sit on the fence in this category if Mustipher is going to see his draft stock rise before the draft.
Where Mustipher sits among draft prospects
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PJ Mustipher is certainly a prospect to keep on the radar for any team looking to draft a defensive tackle, but there will be a good number of defensive tackles going ahead of him.
Clemson‘s Bryan Bresee, Jalen Carter of Georgia, LSU‘s Jaquelin Roy, and fellow Big Ten defensive tackles Keeanu Benton of Wisconsin, Mazi Smith of Michigan, and Jacob Slade of Michigan State are just some of the names likely to be slotted ahead of Mustipher on the big boards around the NFL war rooms.
Draft Outlook
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Considering the depth at the defensive tackle draft pool in 2023 and how much Mustipher is being viewed as a bit of a work in progress in some key areas, it should come as no surprise to see Mustipher being projected to be a middle to late-round draft pick in the 2023 NFL draft, perhaps leaning more toward the back end of the draft rounds.
All of this can change drastically with a good showing in the NFL combine. Being viewed as a late-round draft pick also means Mustipher could be at risk of not being drafted at all as the later rounds tend to be a total guessing game as the draft unfolds and teams scramble to fit needs. But there is always a need for more depth on the line of scrimmage, and that should be a benefit to Mustipher’s draft hopes.
Other Penn State players at the 2023 NFL Combine
