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Which Penn State players need to ace the Combine? BWI Daily

Headshot 5x7 reduced qualityby:Thomas Frank Carr•02/14/22•

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Former Penn State linebacker Jesse Luketa only has one season of film at defensive end, but can still climb draft boards this offseason. (Steve Manuel: BWI)

While the current Penn State football players are hard at work in the weight room getting ready for the 2022 season, eight former Nittany Lions are gearing up for the next step in their career. Starting Tuesday, March 1st, these players will put their skills to the test at the annual NFL Combine in Indianapolis in front of 32 teams.

Which players need to make the most of an impact? You can make a case for any one of them, but host Thomas Frank Carr has picked three players to represent the three critical data-gathering facets of the Combine. If you’d like to check out his articles ranking each player eight through one, click on the links below.

Penn State players who need to have a good Combine: Part I

Penn State players who need to have a good Combine: Part 2

Interviews

After a quick introduction about the Penn Staters that won Super Bowl LVI, T-Frank starts with the interview portion of the Combine. Most fans are not aware of the 15-minute interview sessions outside of the skills testing on the field during the week in Indy. Players meet with interested teams in scheduled blocks of time to ask just about any question they want. While the most bizarre questions make it to the light of day, the more serious questions about play, performance, and personality don’t. So who needs to ace the interview portion the most? T-Frank has a candidate that he thinks fits that situation perfectly.

Testing

Next, he focuses on the testing portion of the Combine. From the famous 40-yard dash to the vertical leap, one player needs to post excellent numbers more than the other seven representatives from Penn State. So why is Jesse Luketa the pick? After all, he just finished an impressive week at the Senior Bowl. T-Frank explains.

Medical Background

Finally comes the medical examinations at the Combine. Who has the most checkered injury past? Penn State does not give public details regarding injuries, so this is a murkier topic. Despite that, one player stands out.

Finally, T-Frank addresses one related topic to the Combine and the players mentioned on the show. Did some players, like Luketa, make a mistake by declaring for the draft? Would one more year of development change their draft slotting? T-Frank gives his thoughts on what he thinks is a warped perception of money, draft position, and value.

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