As the 2024 NFL draft draws ever closer, the range that each prospect could go in becomes clearer. Teams are finalizing their boards, media members have gathered as much intel as they possibly can, and draft analysts put the finishing touches on how they view the class as a whole.
For Penn State’s bevy of potential draft picks, that means doing everything they can to stand out in what seems to be a very talented class this season. Four Nittany Lions have done just that, as NFL Mock Draft Database has tackle [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag], edge rusher [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Theo Johnson[/autotag], and edge rusher [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] in their consensus top 100 players.
The list is based on hundreds of mocks and big boards from many publications, so it’s a good way to see how each player is viewed by the media. Fashanu is ranked 14th overall, a drop off from his high ranking of 3rd. That drop is less about him and more about the rise of others, but he is no longer viewed as a potential top-five pick.
Robinson checks in at 27th, also a decline from his peak ranking of 16th. I imagine his elite speed and get-off made some analysts ignore some of his weaknesses early on, but he is still firmly in first-round consideration. Isaac has the largest gap between his current ranking and his peak, 78th and 54th respectively. Last but not least, Johnson has also seen a drop in ranking from his high point, sitting at 95th with a peak of 80th.
Overall, it seems the media has cooled on all of Penn State’s top prospects. It’s important to remember that most players end up lower than where they peaked by this point in the draft process, however. The consensus board also has never been about truly predicting how NFL teams view each player, but to simply sum up how the general public views them.
In the case of Penn State’s prospects, I think they will line up pretty closely to how the NFL will value them. Fashanu and Robinson are too talented to fall far from their projections. Isaac is a very sound, high-floor guy that teams can easily talk themselves into on day 2. Johnson is the athletic wild card that teams will convince themselves has untapped potential. I doubt any of them make it past the second day of the draft.