You just had to have a small feeling that Carolina Panthers head coach [autotag]Matt Rhule[/autotag] would strongly consider taking a chance on another Penn State player once the 2022 NFL draft was over, right? The Panthers did just that by signing special teams standout [autotag]Drew Hartlaub[/autotag] to an undrafted free agent contract following the recent draft.
News of Hartlaub signing with the Panthers was first reported by Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus. According to Kyed, via Twitter, Hartlaub received a $6,000 signing bonus as part of the contract.
The #Panthers are signing Penn State S Drew Hartlaub as a UDFA. Deal includes a $6k signing bonus.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) May 1, 2022
Hartlaub was not a player expected to be drafted by an NFL team in the recent NFL draft, but his performance at Penn State’s pro day drew plenty of attention to the kind of value he can bring to any NFL team. Hartlaub was a special teams standout for the Nittany Lions and he could land a familiar role in the NFL with his work ethic and devotion to the team.
That could be just the kind of attitude Rhule is looking to have on the roster with the Panthers. Of course, Hartlaub is hardly alone in the Penn State connections in Charlotte. The Panthers used a fourth-round draft pick to select Penn State linebacker [autotag]Brandon Smith[/autotag], and former Nittany Lion [autotag]Yetur Gross-Matos[/autotag] is already an established player on the roster.
[mm-video type=video id=01g1ybhnw0byyr425fp2 playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g1ybhnw0byyr425fp2/01g1ybhnw0byyr425fp2-c2b964409487d12b4e1e133605b396e7.jpg]
[vertical-gallery id=18792]
[listicle id=18862]
[lawrence-related id=19078,19076,19074,19068,18973,19044]
Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.