History of Penn State players in the NFL Draft
(WHTM) – Over a dozen Penn State players are hoping to fulfill their dreams and be selected at the 2024 NFL Draft.
Those drafted will join the almost 400 alumni who have been chosen in the last 83 years of the NFL Draft.
Penn State ranks seventh for the most players drafted among Division I programs. The Nittany Lions have had 381 Nittany Lions drafted, beginning in the 1940 NFL Draft when Leon Gajecki went to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 16th round to become the first Penn State player drafted.
Since 2006, there has been at least one Nittany Lion drafted every year. Within that streak, Penn State has produced four first-round picks including Saquon Barkley, Micah Parsons, Odafe Oweh, and Jahan Dotson.
Last year, Penn State just missed the first round, with the first Nittany Lion selection coming at 32nd overall with Joey Porter Jr. going to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In the history of the program, 40 Penn State players have been drafted in the first round.
46 players have been drafted since head coach James Franklin’s arrival in 2015.
This is the history of the last five NFL Drafts and the Nittany Lions chosen:
2023 NFL Draft
Joey Porter Jr., 32nd overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Brenton Strange, 61st overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars
Juice Scruggs, 62nd overall to the Houston Texans
Ji’Ayir Brown, 87th overall to the San Francisco 49ers
Sean Clifford, 149th overall to the Green Bay Packers
Parker Washington, 185th overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars
This was the first time in Penn State history that there have been three straight years where three or more players were chosen in the first two rounds.
2022 NFL Draft
Jahan Dotson, 16th overall to the Washington Commanders
Arnold Ebiketie, 38th overall to the Atlanta Falcons
Jaquan Brisker, 48th overall to the Chicago Bears
Brandon Smith, 120th overall to the Carolina Panthers
Jordan Stout, 130th overall to the Baltimore Ravens
Tariq Castro-Fields, 221st overall to the San Francisco 49ers
Rasheed Walker, 249th overall to the Green Bay Packers
Jesse Luketa, 256th overall to the Arizona Cardinals
Penn State’s eight 2022 NFL Draft picks are their most since 1996 when they had 10 players drafted.
2021 NFL Draft
Micah Parsons, 12th overall to the Dallas Cowboys
Odafe Oweh, 31st overall to the Baltimore Ravens
Pat Freiermuth, 55th overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Shaka Toney, 246th overall to the Washington Football Team
Michal Menet, 247th overall to the Arizona Cardinals
Will Fries, 248th overall to the Indianapolis Colts
2020 NFL Draft
Yetur Gross-Matos, 38th overall to the Carolina Panthers
KJ Hamler, 46th overall to the Denver Broncos
John Reid, 141st overall to the Houston Texans
Cam Brown, 183rd overall to the New York Giants
Robert Windsor, 193rd overall to the Indianapolis Colts
2019 NFL Draft
Miles Sanders, 53rd overall to the Philadelphia Eagles
Connor McGovern, 90th overall to the Dallas Cowboys
Shareef Miller, 138th overall to the Philadelphia Eagles
Amani Oruwariye, 146th overall to the Detroit Lions
Trace McSorley, 197th overall to the Baltimore Ravens
Nick Scott, 243rd overall to the Los Angeles Rams
The 2024 NFL Draft begins on April 25 in Detroit, Michigan.
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