The 2021 NFL Draft is slated to kick off around 8 PM ET on Thursday night. Football fans are getting excited (and nervous) to see how their favorite teams’ front offices decide which players they want to develop into future stars.
This year, Penn State has a handful of players that should get their name called over the next several days. Top draft prospects Micah Parsons will hear his name on Thursday night pending any chaos that unfolds. Jayson Oweh has been mocked in the first round, but he could fall down to the top half of the second round along with tight end Pat Freiermuth.
Shaka Toney, Lamont Wade, Will Fries and Michael Menet fill out the rest of the 2021 draft prospects for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State football has had 361 drafted players over the years, which is tied for third-most in the Big Ten (behind Michigan and Ohio State) and sixth-most all-time.
In the 2020 NFL Draft, Penn State had five players drafted. Yetur Gross-Matos (Panthers), KJ Hamler (Broncos), John Reid (Texans), Cam Brown (Giants), and Robert Windsor (Colts).
The 1987 NFL Draft was the best year for Penn State football. After coming off a National Championship win over the Miami Hurricanes, 13 players were drafted. LB Shane Conlan was drafted 8th overall to the Buffalo Bills and RB D.J. Dozier was selected 14th overall to the Minnesota Vikings.
Since 2006, the Nittany Lions have had at least one player drafted for 15 straight years. 62 players during that 15-year span that sported the blue and white had their name called.
Make sure to tune in to the 2021 NFL Draft to see which Penn State players get to be a part of the rich history of NFL players to come out of Happy Valley.
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