Penn State puts two on ESPN's top prospects list for the 2024 NFL Draft
The 2023 NFL Draft is still months away. However, it’s never too early to start looking ahead at which returning college football stars will be the next top-tier pro prospects. ESPN did just that on Wednesday, and two Penn State football players made the cut.
Longtime draft analyst Matt Miller placed left tackle Olu Fashanu and cornerback Kalen King on his list of top 2024 NFL Draft prospects. Fashanu could have left for the next level after the 2022 season. But, he’s back despite carrying a first-round grade.
“Fashanu might have been the top-ranked tackle for the 2023 class if he had entered the draft, but he will return to Happy Valley with a chance to be a top-five overall pick and potentially bring the offensive tackle position back to the No. 1 overall slot in 2024,” Miller writes.
“Fashanu has all the measurable we look for in elite tackles, but it’s the way he initiates contact with length, power and a strong base that makes him the OT1 for next year. The 6-foot-6, 321-pound tackle has fantastic agility, as well. He didn’t allow a single sack (and just two pressures) on 280 pass-block snaps in 2022.”
Fashanu missed the final five games of the Lions’ season due to injury. But, he is expected to be full-go for spring practice and will anchor a Penn State offensive line that returns numerous starters for coordinator Mike Yurcich’s attack.
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King’s stock set to rise in year three at Penn State
King’s inclusion on the list was not a surprise. He enters year three at Penn State with the likelihood of landing on numerous preseason All-American teams. He has strong coverage skills and a nose for the football, as evidenced by his three interceptions and 15 pass breakups in 2022. If he does go to the 2024 NFL Draft, it will mean leaving eligibility on the table, of course.
“King returns to college as one of the most prolific corners in the nation,” Miller writes.
“He’s my top-ranked player at the position heading into the 2023 college season, thanks to great ball skills, quickness and a sturdy 5-foot-11, 188-pound frame. He’s silky smooth in transitions and punishes quarterbacks who throw in his direction.”
King headlines a secondary that moves on without projected 2023 first-round pick Joey Porter Jr. But, besides King, Penn State returns plenty. That list includes Johnny Dixon, Daequan Hardy, and Cam Miller, among others. The program also added second-team All-ACC pick Storm Duck out of the transfer portal.
