Eight Penn State prospects taken in latest ESPN 7-round mock draft
For Penn State football’s pro hopefuls, draft day is on the horizon.
With the first round scheduled to go ahead on Thursday night, all the speculation and pre-draft analysis is coming to a head. ESPN analyst Matt Miller released a full seven-round mock draft earlier this week, and the Nittany Lions are well represented.
WR Jahan Dotson – 32nd overall to the Detroit Lions
Penn State standout Jahan Dotson is the sixth wideout off Miller’s board.
In this projection, Dotson lands in Detroit — an organization in desperate need of help at the wide receiver position.
“One of the weakest wide receiver rooms in the league would get a major upgrade with the shifty, speedy Dotson joining the fold,” Miller wrote.
Dotson, the engine behind Penn State’s offense for the last two seasons, finished 2021 with 1,182 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.
Widely projected to go late in the first round, Dotson narrowly avoids falling to the second round here.
S Jaquan Brisker – 50th overall to the Houston Texans
The second Penn State prospect off the board is Jaquan Brisker, the Nittany Lions’ talisman on defense for the last two seasons.
It’s been difficult for the prognosticators to reach a consensus on Brisker, who will sometimes appear as late as the fourth round in some mocks. Here, he joins a rebuilding Texans team after Miller projects a trade with Kansas City.
“Brisker is a talented, versatile safety prospect with 4.43-second speed and great coverage instincts,” Miller wrote.
Brisker finished 2021 with two picks and an 82.4 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus.
DE Arnold Ebiketie – 51st overall to the Philadelphia Eagles
We go back-to-back picks here in the middle of the second round as Miller projects Arnold Ebiketie will stay in the Keystone State.
Ebiketie joined Brisker on the All-Big Ten first team last season.
A true pass rusher, Ebiketie proved to be an elite disruptive force. His 9.5 sacks led the team, as did his 18 tackles for loss. Ebiketie also forced a pair of fumbles.
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“Ebiketie has the speed and length off the edge to project well as a future 4-3 defensive end starter but has immediate upside as a third-down rusher in space,” Miller wrote.
CB Tariq Castro-Fields – 93rd overall to the San Francisco 49ers
The next Penn State player comes off the board at the back of the third round. Tariq Castro-Fields is the projection for the 49ers here.
A five-year contributor for the Nittany Lions, he achieved a 67.8 defensive PFF grade last season.
“The 49ers can’t throw enough picks at fixing the secondary in this draft,” Miller wrote. “Castro-Fields is battle-tested and turned in his best season yet in 2021. He has the size (6-foot, 200 pounds) to thrive in the 49ers’ scheme.”
LB Brandon Smith – 97th overall to the Detroit Lions
Brandon Smith is the first of the supplemental third-round draft choices. Under this projection, he’d join Dotson in the Motor City.
Smith never quite reached his potential in the blue and white during two seasons as a starter. Understandably, though, NFL evaluators are high on his athleticism.
“Smith is an eye-popping talent with height-weight-speed traits to become an NFL starter, but he needs to develop his read-and-react skills,” Miller wrote. “That’s why he’s available in Round 3 after being a five-star recruit out of high school. If the Lions can develop him, Smith could be a steal.”
More Penn State draft projections
LB/DE Jesse Luketa – 124th overall to the Philadelphia Eagles
T Rasheed Walker – 153rd overall to the Seattle Seahawks
P Jordan Stout – 231st overall to the Buffalo Bills
