Penn State at the Senior and Shrine Bowls: Which Lions soared, slipped during practices?

Penn State football had four former players at Senior Bowl practices. Three of them participated in all three practices for the National team in Mobile, Ala., Tuesday-Thursday. One of them suffered an injury that, while not considered serious, caused him to leave early. So, only a trio of former Lions are now expected to play in Saturday’s all-star game. It’s in Mobile, Ala. at 1 p.m. on NFL Network. Additionally, a few former Lions were at the Shrine Bowl. And one made a list of top performers.

How did the group perform overall? Let’s take a look at what’s being said nationally.

Johnson, Isaac, see stock soar

Penn State tight end Theo Johnson and defensive end Adisa Isaac boosted their NFL Draft stock as much as any players in attendance at the Senior Bowl. Isaac was ESPN draft analyst Louis Riddick’s practice MVP. And, the outlet’s Jordan Reid had him among the biggest risers.

“Speedy pass-rushers always stand out at the Senior Bowl, and Isaac was impossible to miss,” Reid writes. “At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, he stole the show during National practices — especially on Thursday with UCLA’s Laiatu Latu out because of an injury. Isaac was the best defensive lineman during that practice. His first-step quickness was too much to handle, and his spin move frustrated more than one blocker. He carries a mid-Round 2 grade on my board.

Johnson, meanwhile, scored first-team reps, and a lot of them, in Thursday’s red zone team periods. He was a consistent pass catcher who put some strong blocks on film, too.

“I was looking for a tight end to emerge during the week of practices. And, Johnson stepped up to the challenge,” NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah writes. “He was the best player at the position. He has excellent size (6-6, 257) and showed a little more wiggle in person than he did on tape. I was impressed with how he moved on the field.”

King will seek redemption in the Senior Bowl

By and large, it was a tough week for Penn State’s Kalen King. The only junior cornerback at the event, he was routinely beaten in the one-on-one periods on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, he had an up and down but at times better effort in one-on-ones and the team period. Still, the idea of him going in the first round, which was talked about as a possibility in 2023, seems to be all but shot early in 2024. But, he still has game day left to make a positive impression.

“King had a few plays this week where he looked like one of the top cornerbacks in this class, but there were several plays in one-on-ones where he was just outclassed,” Jarrett Bailey writes for A to Z Sports. “Ricky Pearsall of Florida, Luke McCaffrey of Rice, and Devontez Walker of North Carolina all beat him rather convincingly in separate reps during one-on-ones. In terms of the Penn State talent that was in Mobile this week, the argument can be made that King was the least impressive.”

Johnny Dixon is the injured Penn State player

Johnny Dixon went down in the back of the end zone during National team practice at the Senior Bowl on Wednesday. It ended up being a glute injury, which should not hamper his draft prep long term.

“Although Dixon’s injury is not considered serious, requiring only stretching and icing, he was set to finish up his team interviews on Wednesday night and leave Mobile, ending his week,” NFL.com reported.

Wallace offers intrigue after Shrine Bowl

Penn State offensive tackle Caedan Wallace was at the Shrine Bowl along with center Hunter Nourzad, linebacker Curtis Jacobs, and cornerback Daequan Hardy. The Athletic picked 15 intriguing players after practices, and it was Wallace who made the cut. The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner writes:

“Wallace plays with terrific feet and can really move in space — both up to the second level and beyond. “He was consistently one of the quickest tackles off the snap in run drills early in the week with pads on. And, while he’ll occasionally lunge or fall off a block in the run game, there’s a ton to like.

“Wallace measured in with 33 5/8-inch arms and 10 1/2-inch hands. [He] showed the second-highest max acceleration GPS number of any offensive lineman.”