Penn State football places two players in Mel Kiper's first-round mock draft

ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. released his latest mock draft, and two Penn State football players feature prominently.

Arnold Ebiketie and Jahan Dotson are each tabbed as first-round picks by Kiper as we inch closer and closer to draft season.

Penn State DE Arnold Ebiketie

Kiper is high on Penn State’s standout transfer portal addition from a season ago, and with good reason.

The ESPN analyst slotted Ebiketie at No. 16 overall, going to the Philadelphia Eagles with a pick they acquired from the Indianapolis Colts.

It’s an interesting selection by Kiper, with Ebiketie not necessarily a popular first-round draft choice among draft analysts. Penn State fans will know, though, that he certainly possesses that kind of talent.

Ebiketie earned All-Big Ten selections from the coaches and media after a standout 2021.

Arriving from Temple to play out his final season at the collegiate level, Ebiketie delivered 9.5 sacks to rank third in the Big Ten.

He also finished with 18 tackles for loss, which placed him second in the conference and ninth in the country.

It’s no surprise that he’s shot up the draft boards after a season like that. An excellent athlete, Ebiketie was always the type of player NFL scouts would love if he could match his draft profile with production.

With the help of Penn State’s coaching staff, he did exactly that.

“He’s so raw and athletic, and he really hasn’t been taught anything as far as pass rushing goes — edge play,” defensive line specialist Eddy McGilvra said before the season. “So when I got my hands on him, I was like, ‘Wow, this is actually a potential top-100 pick, one of the top edge guys in my opinion that I’ve been within that class.'”

Ebiketie would surely help an Eagles defense that finished with only 29 sacks — 31st in the NFL.

Ebiketie is Kiper’s third defensive end off the board.

“He has long arms and is explosive at the snap, and he’s strong enough to set the edge in the run game,” Kiper wrote. “I’m a big fan.”

Nittany Lion WR Jahan Dotson

Unlike Ebiketie, Penn State wideout Jahan Dotson most certainly is a player that most analysts have going in the first round.

Kiper projects him to go 26th overall to the Miami Dolphins with a pick acquired from the 49ers.

Dotson made Penn State’s offense go in 2021 and 2020, averaging 98 receiving yards per game over those two seasons.

Even on an offense that became one-dimensional in 2021 due to a struggling run game, Dotson still managed to produce at an elite rate.

He racked up 1,182 receiving yards in 12 games, finding the end zone 12 times through the air and once on the ground.

Dotson attributed some of his success to the work he’s put in inside the weight room. As he became older and developed more physically, his career blossomed.

Now, he’s a top draft prospect at the wide receiver position.

“I was a little scrawny, barely 145-pound freshmen,” Dotson said after a 242-yard performance against Maryland. “I took the weight room seriously as I’ve gone through my Penn State career. Coach [James] Franklin, the strength staff, they were always telling me that I needed to become a big time receiver; simple as that. I took that with pride. They have been pushing me ever since. I’ve been putting the work in. I’m just grateful to have them pushing me and happy to be in this position.”

The fifth wideout off Kiper’s board, Dotson would walk into plenty of opportunities in Miami. The Dolphins depended on rookie WR Jaylen Waddle heavily last season, but lacked a reliable secondary option for QB Tua Tagovailoa.

“The best way to help Tagovailoa is to get him another pass-catcher who can make plays after the catch,” Kiper wrote. “Dotson is explosive with the ball in his hands and has the versatility to line up all over the field.”