The first week of NFL free agency is over, and now we are just over a month away from the 2024 NFL draft and its full-blown mock draft bonanza.
Pro Football Focus (PFF), known for its 0-100 NFL and college football player grades, released its latest three-round mock draft. This iteration included a few exciting trades, including the Minnesota Vikings trading up to pick No. 4 for Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.
PFF’s Trevor Sikkema has three Penn State players going in the first three rounds: OT [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag], EDGE [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] and EDGE [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag].
Sikkema has Fashanu going No. 14 overall to the New Orleans Saints, which is a bit further down in the first round than earlier in the draft season. The former Penn State star was initially seen as a top-10 pick, but an injury at the combine, plus concerns from teams about handling power rushers, has seen his stock fall.
Fashanu brings some concerns about how he deals with power, but he’s a fantastic athlete and a great pass protector who can still develop that power as a young player. The Saints can’t just roll into next season under the assumption that Trevor Penning will get substantially better. – Trevor Sikkema, PFF
Sikkema notes Fashanu’s elite athleticism and prowess as a great pass-protector, and the Saints would seem to be a prudent fit, considering their ranking as the 10th most pass-heavy offense in the league last year.
Although many, including Chop Robinson himself, see him as a first-rounder, PFF has Robinson missing out on the first day of the draft by just one spot. Sikkema has the Carolina Panthers selecting the Penn State pass rusher with the No. 33 pick, where he would likely fill the void left by former Penn Stater [autotag]Yetur Gross-Matos[/autotag], who left for the 49ers in free agency.
With the ninth pick of the third round (No. 73 overall), Sikkema has the Detroit Lions selecting edge rusher Adisa Isaac, who could pair nicely as a bookend to former Michigan star Aidan Hutchison as part of an up-and-coming defensive line.
The NFL draft will take place from April 25 to April 27 in Detroit, and the Chicago Bears will have the first overall pick.