Mock draft season is about to close up shop, but there is still some time for final editions and adjustments to be made to mock drafts before the real thing kicks off on Thursday evening in Detroit. Among the football experts sharing their final mock drafts in the final hours of mock draft season is Charles Davis. Davis, like a number of final mock draft, predicts a pair of Nittany Lions going in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
The highest Penn State player on Davis’ mock draft is offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, who has long been considered Penn State’s top draft prospect. According to Davis’ mock draft, Fashanu could be heading to the New Orleans Saints with the no. 14 overall selection.
“The Saints need a left tackle, and Fashanu is their guy,” Davis says in his mock draft analysis. If Davis’ prediction comes true, Fashanu will be the fourth offensive tackle selected in the NFL draft. In three versions of his mock draft this draft season, Davis has been firm on the Saints selecting Fashanu.
But the first round will not conclude without another Penn State star being selected according to Davis and his mock draft. Defensive end Chop Robinson is slotted at the no. 26 overall pick owned by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Davis’ mock draft.
“Tampa banks on the potential and expected elevation of this speedy edge rusher whose numbers should improve in the NFL,” said Davis. Davis notes he could see the Bucs going with some help for the offensive line as well, specifically at center. But Penn State’s Hunter Nourzad would likely be far down the big board at the center position.
Davis did not have Robinson being selected in the first round of his second version of the mock draft, but he did have the Philadelphia Eagles picking him in his first edition with the no. 22 overall pick. So perhaps Robinson has momentum in his favor at the right time.
You can view the full Charles Davis mock draft via NFL.com. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also predicts Fashanu and Robinson going in the first round, although he is higher on both players in his first-round mock draft.
Penn State did not have a player selected in the first-round of the 2023 NFL draft, although cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was the no. 32 overall player selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers (there were only 31 draft picks in the first round due to the Miami Dolphins forfeiting a draft pick).
Here is a look back at every first-round draft pick in Penn State history. See where Penn State ranks on the all-time draft pick rankings heading into the 2024 draft, and see how the 18 Big Ten schools compare to each other.
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