Juice Scruggs hears name called as newest Penn State draftee
Penn State football has another former Nittany Lion off the board in the NFL Draft. Juice Scruggs, a 6-foot-3, 301-pound offensive lineman out of Ashtabula, Ohio, has been selected by the Houston Texans in the second round. He is the 62nd overall pick in this year’s draft.
Scruggs also represented the second in a rare back-to-back string of picks for Penn State. Selected 61st overall, tight end Brenton Strange went the pick earlier to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The selection continues a remarkable journey for Scruggs, who has experienced a rollercoaster both personally and on the field through his career.
A scout team offensive player of the year winner as a true freshman, Scruggs was injured seriously during the 2019 offseason due to a car accident. As a result, he missed extensive time with the Nittany Lions, returning to action for the 2020 season. Upon his return, he quickly became a fixture on the Penn State offense, playing in 33 games and starting 26 over the ensuing three seasons.
The performance earned Scruggs high praise from Penn State head coach James Franklin last season.
“I’m a huge Juice Scruggs fan,” Franklin said. “You talk about a guy that literally practices every day, bumps and bruises, plays in every game, bumps and bruises. Not only is playing at a high level but is durable, is consistent. He’s the quarterback of the OL, quarterback of the protections and run game, getting us all on the same page. He makes us go.”
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Now, Scruggs will work to continue that trajectory with the Texans.
Juice Scruggs departure leads to OL shift
First, an evaluation of Scruggs from Sports Info Solutions about what fans should expect at the next level:
“Scruggs is an experienced, versatile lineman who needs to improve his power and balance. But, his pass protection ability and awareness as a blocker should allow him to be multi-positional backup at the next level.”
In his absence, offensive line coach Phil Trautwein has shuffled the pieces up front ahead of the 2023 season. The Nittany Lions have turned to Hunter Nourzad to take over the center position this spring.
