Now that the college football season has been wrapped up, the focus has moved to the NFL draft. Penn State figures to have some representation in the draft this year, and there could be multiple first-round picks to look forward to. The top-rated draft prospect continues to be offensive tackle [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag], who has officially declared for the NFL draft after sitting out of the Peach Bowl at the end of the 2023 season. With the draft still a few months away, ESPN’s Mel Kiper is ranking Fashanu in his top 10 on his updated big board (subscription required).
Kiper has Fashanu as his no. 8 player in this year’s draft class, although it should be stressed this does not necessarily mean Kiper believes Fashanu will be the no. 8 draft pick. Position needs vary by the teams drafting in the NFL draft and a team may value an offensive lineman more or less depending on their draft spot. Fashanu has widely been considered a top-10 draft pick, but big board ratings do not always go in sync with mock drafts. We’ll wait to see just where Kiper has Fashanu projected in the draft order once it is finalized.
For what it is worth, just bout every team currently slated with a top-10 draft pick has a need for an offensive lineman, specifically an offensive tackle. So the oddas are probably pretty good Fashanu will be going in the top 10 as long as the combine goes according to plan for him. The Chicago Bears have two picks in the top 10 and have a variety of needs, although offensive tackle may not be among the top items on the franchise’s wish list that early in the draft. The Washington Commanders (no. 2 overall) and New England Patriots (no. 3) could use Fashanu, but quarterback appears to be more of a pressing need.
The New York Giants (no. 6) could be another team to watch, although the franchise has many needs elsewhere that can be addressed at their current spot. The Tennessee Titans (no. 7) could be a team to watch after drafting former Penn State quarterback [autotag]Will Levis[/autotag] to be their quarterback previously. The New York Jets (no. 10) are also on the radar with Aaron Rodgers in need of protection after a lost 2023 season.
The 2024 NFL draft will take place in Detroit from April 25 through April 27.
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