How Penn State football’s draft picks on Day 2 will fit with their new NFL teams
Penn State had two players come off the board during the second day of the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday night. Offensive tackle Caedan Wallace went No. 68 to the New England Patriots and EDGE Adisa Isaac went No. 93 to the Baltimore Ravens.
Let’s take a look at the chances of each playing early and what their long-term outlook is with their new organizations.
Caedan Wallace to the New England Patriots
Wallace was a surprise as the third Nittany Lion off the board but ended up in a place where he should see the field early on.
The Patriots are in the middle of a rebuild in almost every aspect of the organization. Legendary head coach Bill Belichick was replaced by Jerod Mayo, which also means the largest influence in the front office is gone now too. Wins may be hard to come by for a bit, but playing time shouldn’t be for the young players on the roster.
Wallace should be a beneficiary of that. Right now, he seems like the most logical choice to start at right tackle for the Patriots this season, although the Patriots think he could even play at left tackle. Regardless of which side he’s on, Wallace is going to have one of the most important jobs on the team — protecting No. 3 overall pick and franchise quarterback Drake Maye whenever he plays.
One of the most interesting aspects of Wallace landing in New England is that his versatility is unlikely to come into play in the short term. The Patriots have Mike Onwenu, David Andrews and Cole Strange along the interior, and it’s doubtful that he could unseat any of them — especially when he’s probably not a fit at center this early in his career.
That should leave him at tackle, where he will have a chance to learn the NFL game on the fly. Should he perform well, Wallace could lock himself into a starting spot for a while at a position where players tend to hit it big financially once they prove they can start.
Adisa Isaac to the Baltimore Ravens
Isaac came off the board late in the third round and now will likely be competing with a former teammate for reps this fall.
He will join former Nittany Lion Odafe Oweh as an outside linebacker in the Ravens’ defense and will likely have to learn some new skills early in his career. Baltimore’s heavy use of three down linemen with edge rushers on either side leads to a lot of blitzing, but also a lot of dropping into coverage for the players on the edges. Oweh faced that adjustment and now Isaac likely will too, although it seems more likely than not that he’ll primarily be tasked with getting after quarterbacks. That should lead to reps early, even though Oweh and Kyle Van Noy are set to be the starters for the Ravens. Isaac will be able to ease into his role because of that and adjust at a slower pace than Wallace.
Given how much of a machine the Baltimore defense has been for decades, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he develops and eventually replaces Van Noy — who is 33 years old and has a contract the team could get out of without much of a cap hit after the 2024 season. The veteran staying for the length of his two-year deal would set up nicely for Isaac, who would then have two years of his rookie deal to potentially start for the Ravens and prove his value as a pass rusher.
Like Wallace, he plays one of the most vital positions on the field and could have a long and lucrative NFL career if he proves his value with his first team.
