The NFL scouting community is laser-focused on the events unfolding this week in Indianapolis for the combine. Among those taking scrupulous notes will be Mel Kiper, the godfather of the mock draft. But heading into the combine, Kiper has updated his first-round mock draft, and it just so happens to include a pair of Penn State players.
Kiper is currently projecting defensive end Arnold Ebiketie to be a first-round selection of the New England Patriots with the No. 21 pick. Ebikeite would be a logical selection for the Patriots as the franchise is in need of help on the defensive line, as noted by Kiper.
Per Kiper;
At 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, he could put on a few more pounds and add the position versatility that New England loves, shifting all along the defensive line. He has extremely long arms and can create leverage on his pass-rush moves. The Patriots also need to invest again at wide receiver, so I thought about one with this pick.
Interesting that Kiper mentioned wide receiver because Penn State also has a receiver that is projected by the ESPN expert (and a number of others) to go in the first round as well. Jahan Dotson, considered by many draft experts to be among the top wide receiver available in this year’s draft, also works his way into the first round of Kiper’s most recent mock draft. Kiper has Dotson going No. 26 overall to the Tennessee Titans.
Once again, per Kiper;
Julio Jones is 33, has played just 19 games over the past two seasons and has only four touchdowns over that span. Can the Titans really rely on him to be a great wideout next to A.J. Brown, who has had injury issues himself? I think they need to add an extra dimension for quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and Dotson has the versatility to align out of multiple spots. He had 91 catches for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, and he could rack up yards after the catch to help Tannehill.
We will have to see how Ebiketie and Dotson and a number of other Penn State stars perform at the combine and how it impacts their overall draft stock once the scouting event is over. But two first-round draft picks for a second consecutive year would be pretty good to see if you are Penn State head coach James Franklin and Penn State.
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