Category: PSU in NFL

Carolina Panthers sign former Penn State running back John Lovett

Former Penn State and Baylor running back is reunited with Matt Rhule with the Carolina Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers are having a bit of a Penn State flavor under head coach [autotag]Matt Rhule[/autotag]. After using a fourth-round draft pick to draft Penn State linebacker [autotag]Brandon Smith[/autotag] and signing special teams standout [autotag]Drew Hartlaub[/autotag] to an undrafted free agent contract, the Panthers added one more Nittany Lion to the mix with running back [autotag]John Lovett[/autotag].

Lovett signed with the Panthers as another undrafted free agent, according to NFL analyst and reporter Matt Lombardo, via Twitter.

Lovett transferred to Penn State from Baylor last year and was expected to be a solid contributor to the Penn State running game along with [autotag]Noah Cain[/autotag] and [autotag]Keyvone Lee[/autotag]. All three were listed on the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, but Penn State’s entire running game was a disappointment in 2021. Not one player recorded a single 100-yard rushing game. Lovett was used in a backup role for the majority of the season and didn’t appear in every game due to an early-season suspension.

Of course, Rhule is very familiar with what Lovett has to offer on his roster, as Rhule was once Lovett’s head coach at Baylor.

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Carolina Panthers add another Nittany Lion with Drew Hartlaub

Penn State sp[ecial teams star Drew Hartlaub signs with Carolina Panthers

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.

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.

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New Orleans Saints sign Eric Wilson to undrafted free agent contract

Former Penn State and Harvard offensive lineman signs with NFC South team

Penn State offensive lineman [autotag]Eric Wilson[/autotag] was hoping to hear his name called at some point in the NFL draft. While that never happened, Wilson is still now in the league after signing an undrafted free agent contract with the New Orleans Saints following the conclusion of the NFL draft.

Wilson confirmed the news of his free-agent signing with a message on his Twitter account, retweeting a report on his signing. In his message, Wilson thanked Penn State and Harvard (from where Wilson transfer to Penn State).

The former Ivy League standout transferred to Penn State for his final year of eligibility and made the most of his only season in Happy Valley. Penn State’s offensive line as a unit had some struggles in 2021, but it still found a way to send a pair of offensive linemen off to the NFL.

In addition to Wilson signing as a free agent, Penn State saw Rasheed Walker be drafted as a late seventh-round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers. Wilson will have an opportunity to have an impact on the Saints as the franchise is in a bit of a rebuilding mode with plenty of questions to address this offseason.

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Green Bay Packers add Penn State linebacker Ellis Brooks as undrafted free agent

Ellis Brooks may not have been drafted, but he’s joining a couple of Penn State players in Green Bay

Prior to the NFL draft, Green Bay Packers safety [autotag]Adrian Amos[/autotag] wondered on Twitter if the Packers would be adding any Nittany Lions to the roster. As it turns out, they added two. After the conclusion of the 2022 NFL draft, the Packers signed Penn State linebacker Ellis Brooks to an undrafted free agent contract.

News of Brooks signing with the Packers was first broken by The Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter Eric Kolenich, via Twitter.

Brooks opted to leave Penn State with eligibility remaining to take a shot at being drafted by an NFL team, but he was viewed by many as a late-round draft pick at best once he declared for the draft. His linebacker partner, [autotag]Brandon Smith[/autotag], was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the NFL draft.

The Packers used a late seventh-round draft pick in 2022 NFL draft to select Penn State offensive lineman [autotag]Rasheed Walker[/autotag].

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Atlanta Falcons sign DT Derrick Tangelo as undrafted free agent

The Atlanta Falcons weren’t content to add just one Penn State defensive lineman in the draft, so they signed another.

Not content to have just one Penn State defensive lineman on its roster from the recent draft class, the Atlanta Falcons have reportedly signed defensive tackle [autotag]Derrick Tangelo[/autotag]. Tangelo was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Falcons over the weekend after the conclusion of the 2022 NFL draft.

According to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, the Falcons signed Tangleo to a contract valued at $55,0000.

Tangelo joins his fellow Penn State defensive lineman [autotag]Arnold Ebiketie[/autotag] in Atlanta. Ebiketie was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the NFL draft after the franchise moved up in the draft order to select him. Overall, the Falcons received a good amount of praise for their draft class.

Tangelo may not have been drafted, but it was expected he would be a late-round draft pick if he was picked up by an NFL team. So the Falcons are getting a player that could be one to keep an eye on because he can play at the next level.

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What number is Jahan Dotson wearing with the Washington Commanders?

This is the uniform number Jahan Dotson will be wearing for the Washington Commanders.

One of the first questions fans of a player will ask when they join a new team is what number will they be wearing. Fans of Penn State and the NFL’s Washington Commanders now have an answer for what number [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag] will be wearing in his rookie season. Dotson is going with No. 1.

Washington officially revealed jersey numbers for their newest additions from the 2022 NFL Draft, including their first-round pick wide receiver from Penn State. In a short post on the team’s Twitter account on Sunday, Washington confirmed Dotson will be wearing the No. 1.

If you were wondering, the No. 5 Dotson wore at Penn State is not available on the Washington roster. That jersey number belongs to punter Tress Way. Meanwhile, in Happy Valley, Dotson’s old No. 5 is now being worn by transfer addition [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag], from Western Kentucky.

The team also gave a little preview of Dotson’s new road jersey with the stitching having just been completed.

The photos of Dotson’s road jersey also show off some of the new design elements going into the new uniforms for Washington as the franchise begins a new season under a new name. After abandoning the name Redskins, Washington played as the Washington Football Team in 2021. This year will be the first the franchise has played as the Commanders, which technically makes Dotson the first pick in Commanders history.

 

@bykevinmcguire Been a busy few days covering the NFL draft for Nittany Lions Wire and USA TODAY Sports. Here’s a quick recap of Penn State’s draft class. #nfldraft #pennstate #pennstatefootball #weare #packers #packersnation #panthers #chicagobears #atlantafalcons #49ers #49ersfaithful ♬ Youtube No Copyright Rap Music | It’s My Time – Dark Chocolate

Washington drafted Dotson with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Dotson is the highest draft pick at wide receiver out of Penn State since 1984 and the highest-drafted wide receiver ever coached by Penn State head coach James Franklin.

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NFL Draft: Breaking down how Rasheed Walker fits with Green Bay Packers

Will Rasheed Walker be able to fit in with the Green Bay PAckers after being a lat seventh-round pick?

The reigning two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers can only win MVP’s when he is able to stand upright, the Packers drafting [autotag]Rasheed Walker[/autotag] proves they remain steadfast in building around him.

The Packers have had trouble over the last couple years with their offensive line staying healthy. Rasheed Walker was a very successful, and honestly a very aggressive, tackle for the Nittany Lions. He protected Sean Clifford’s blindside successfully during his tenure while also proving to be a reliable run blocker.

He will be joining a talented offensive line group highlighted by All-Pro David Bakhtiari, Walker will have a chance to learn from him while also working to earn a roster spot. Make no bones about it, being this late of a draft pick guarantees him nothing. He will have to earn his roster spot but he has the talent to do so.

Penn State had more 2022 NFL draft picks than any Big Ten team

Penn State had the most players from the Big Ten drafted in the 2022 NFL draft

Penn State may not have had as many draft picks in the 2022 NFL draft as the reigning national champions from Georgia (nobody did), but the Nittany Lions did deliver on some of the draft expectations for this most recent draft class. Penn State ended the draft with eight players selected by NFL teams, which was more than any Big Ten team had this season.

Penn State’s eight draft picks included;

  • [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag], WR (Washington)
  • [autotag]Arnold Ebiketie[/autotag], DE (Atlanta)
  • [autotag]Jaquan Brisker[/autotag], S (Chicago)
  • [autotag]Brandon Smith[/autotag], LB (Carolina)
  • [autotag]Jordan Stout[/autotag], P (Baltimore)
  • [autotag]Tariq Castro-Fields[/autotag], DB (San Francisco)
  • [autotag]Rasheed Walker[/autotag], OT (Green Bay)
  • [autotag]Jesse Luketa[/autotag], LB (Arizona)

Not a bad three-day result for Penn State, and a good way to follow up a solid draft class from 2021 as well. Penn State even had one more player drafted this year than perennial NFL factory Alabama, with the Crimson Tide ending the draft with seven players.

Penn State also had two more players drafted than Ohio State and three more than Michigan and Wisconsin.

Penn State head coach James Franklin has been on the receiving end of a good amount of criticism for not being able to win more at Penn State, and this latest draft result helps strengthen the case for the naysayers. Franklin has certainly established he can recruit among the best of them and send off that talent to the next level. But the last two seasons have failed to deliver the wins that teams with as much NFL talent as Penn State has had should be expected.

But, let’s not pretend Penn State is far removed from playing in New Years Six bowl games in three out of four years, a stretch that included a good amount of the recent NFL talent on the field or a part of the program. But it is fair to suggest Franklin and Penn State do need to redeem themselves a bit on the football field and in the win column in 2022.

But the bottom line is Franklin has another good recruiting sales pitch to offer with eight more players sent to the NFL via the draft, as his list of drafted players only continues to grow year by year.

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NFL Draft: Breaking down how Tariq Castro-Fields fits with San Francisco 49ers

Penn State defensive back Tariq Castro-Fields will be an interesting prospect to watch with the San Francisco 49ers.

He ended up waiting a little longer than he would have wanted but it will be a great landing spot for his development. Tariq Castro-Fields carved out a career as a good corner in a tough Penn State defense, now he needs to earn the same role in the Bay Area.

He was projected to go in the early part of day three of the NFL draft but he ended up waiting for the second half. The 49ers have a history of finding values at the corner position where they take players who should’ve gone sooner and Castro-Fields may be the latest example of that.

Overall, he will be a little limited in what he can do on a talented 49ers defense to start his career but by winning reps in a rotation, well then we may see more of him.

All-time Chicago Bears draft picks from Penn State

Jaquan Brisker is the latest Penn State player to be drafted by the Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are one of the oldest franchises in the history of the National Football League, which means they have accumulated a ton of draft picks over the years. Yet, the Bears have only drafted a relatively small handful of players from Penn State.

The most recent draft pick from the Nittany Lions by the Bears is safety [autotag]Jaquan Brisker[/autotag], who was selected with a second-round draft pick by the Bears in the 2022 NFL draft. It was the first time in seven years the Bears selected a player from Penn State’s roster. While the Bears may not have drafted a ton of players out of Happy Valley, they certainly have drafted some recognizable names from Penn State’s history.

Here is a quick look at every draft pick from Penn State to be selected by the Chicago Bears.