3 Penn State players land in Mel Kiper's new two-round NFL mock draft; when could each go off the board?
The 2025 NFL Draft is now less than a month away. That means expanded mock drafts are coming out from various media outlets. On Tuesday morning, longtime draftnik Mel Kiper Jr., posted his latest projections for the first two rounds at ESPN. Three Penn State players made the cut. Defensive end Abdul Carter leads the way, of course. He is slotted to go at No. 3 to the New York Giants.
“Even after signing Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston , the Giants have been linked to Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders,” Kiper Jr., writes. “I’m not ruling it out. Neither Wilson nor Winston is a long-term answer. However, the additions mean the Giants can at least toy with passing on the quarterbacks in Round 1 in favor of one of the class’s top two prospects.
“Carter would take this New York defense to new heights.”
It no longer looks like the Philadelphia native and consensus All-American will go No. 1 overall. But, it still can’t be ruled out until draft night.
Moving on to tight end Tyler Warren, the ESPN analyst suggests he will go at No. 10 to the Chicago Bears.
“Offseason moves to add interior offensive linemen Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman should buy Caleb Williams more time to throw,” Kiper Jr., writes. “Landing Warren would give the second-year quarterback another reliable target. New Bears coach Ben Johnson could line up Warren anywhere, get him the ball and let him roll to first downs after the catch. The versatile tight end had 1,233 receiving yards last season, and 700 of them came once the ball was in his hands.”
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Warren could go anywhere from the back half of the top 10 to somewhere between picks Nos. 10-15, based on available mocks. Fallin any lower than that seems unlikely.
More: Can any Penn State freshmen wide receivers contribute in 2025?
Next on the list is former Penn State safety KJ Winston Jr. Despite suffering a season-ending injury in back in September, the Maryland native has continued to be projected as a top 100 prospect. That doesn’t change in Kiper’s mock. He sends him to the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 64 overall pick. That’s the last one of round two, of course. Winston Jr., will certainly be Day 2 pick. But, whether or not he ends up in Round 2 or 3 is up in the air.
“Winston played only two games last season after suffering a knee injury in September, but he had 40 tackles and five pass breakups the prior year,” Kiper writes. “He could help replace C.J. Gardner- Johnson , who was traded to Houston.
“If GM Howie Roseman wanted to keep his offensive line strong and potentially even plan ahead for an eventual Lane Johnson replacement, there are some decent O-line prospects still on the board, too. Boston College’s Ozzy Trapilo and LSU’s Emery Jones Jr . could be worth a look.”
