How Penn State football’s draft picks on Day 3 will fit with their new NFL teams

Penn State had four players go in the first two days of the 2024 NFL Draft and another four go in the last day. Tight end Theo Johnson went in the fourth round to the New York Giants, interior offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad went in the fifth round to the Kansas City Chiefs, cornerback Daequan Hardy went in the sixth round to the Buffao Bills, and cornerback Kalen King went in the seventh round to the Green Bay Packers.

Let’s take a look at how all four players will fit with their NFL teams.

Theo Johnson to the New York Giants

Johnson was a player the Giants had been tracking closely throughout the draft process, and he ended up falling to them in the fourth.

There might not have been a more ideal spot for him to land. In the near future, the Giants might not have a starting tight end. Last year’s starter, Darren Waller, is reportedly considering retirement and backup Daniel Bellinger is an adequate-but-limited option. Johnson has continued to grow as a blocker in his time at Penn State, and will have to continue that development in New York, but would be the team’s best receiving threat at the position if Waller calls it a career.

Even if he decides to come back, the door to start should open soon enough with Waller turning 32 in September. The former Nittany Lion is set to get an opportunity to learn with live reps, and that bodes well for his future. Johnson has a chance to be one of the better receiving threats in the NFL at the position, but will have to unite his athleticism with his production to reach that ceiling.

Hunter Nourzad to the Kansas City Chiefs

Nourzad fell to the fifth round, but heads to a team where he should have a defined role early.

The Kansas City Chiefs have their three starting interior linemen locked in with Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith, but the depth behind them is more than lacking. Mike Caliendo is the team’s only backup interior lineman on the roster, leaving the path clear for Nourzad. He should not only make the roster, but also be the team’s primary backup at guard and center.

In the long run, Nourzad could be an insurance policy for Humphrey, who is heading into the final year of his rookie contract. If the Chiefs decide not to pay him at or near the top of the center market, it could clear the way for Nourzad to start in the future. Regardless, this is one of the most optimal landing spots for the former Nittany Lion because it should lead to a near-guaranteed roster spot.

Daequan Hardy to the Buffalo Bills

Hardy was the first Penn State cornerback off the board, but it’s not necessarily his play on defense that will earn him a job.

Buffalo has three corners in place in Christian Benford, Rasul Douglas and Taron Johnson in the slot, and a seventh-round pick is highly unlikely to compete for a starting job. He could slot in behind Johnson as the team’s backup at the nickel, but it’s still hard to make an NFL team as a backup — who is at his best in the slot — with questions about how he’ll handle outside receivers at the next level.

What will separate him is his contributions on special teams. Right now, wide receiver Khalil Shakir is slated to be the team’s primary returner, but he’s also due to be one of the team’s top two receivers alongside second-round pick Keon Coleman. Presumably the Bills won’t want one of their best receivers as their returner, opening the job up for someone like Hardy to win the job. Those contributions, along with his ability as a gunner on special teams, should help his case for making Buffalo’s roster this fall.

Kalen King to the Green Bay Packers

King had a precipitous drop from when he was originally projected to go in the first round of the draft, landing in Green Bay with the third-to-last pick.

He will have to do things he did not excel at in college to make the Packers’ roster. It’s going to be difficult for him to make the team at corner if he isn’t also competing on special teams as a gunner. King does not bring the return ability that Hardy will to the Bills, so his work will have to come when his team is giving away possession on special teams.

His 40-yard dash time doesn’t bode well for his ability to stick at corner in the NFL, and Green Bay has decent depth at the position already. If he is to stay at corner, it will be because he reclaims the success he found in 2022. And while he never played safety in college, that could be in the cards down the line as he looks for a way to stay in the league long-term.