Tag: Adisa Isaac

How Penn State’s Adisa Isaac fits with the Baltimore Ravens

Adisa Isaac looks like he will be a natural fit with the Baltimore Ravens.

Penn State was expected to be well-represented early in the 2024 NFL draft. [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] was a popular pick to be the third Nittany Lion off the board after Olu Fashanu and Chop Robinson. His teammate Caedan Wallace shockingly beat him out for that honor, but the Baltimore Ravens didn’t let him slide out of day 2.

The Ravens selected Isaac at 93rd overall to boost their pass rush after losing their top edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. Isaac is the ultimate high-floor edge player, something the Ravens covet. He will have an immediate impact as a run defender for their defense, allowing the other more pass-rush-focused players to stay fresh.

Isaac isn’t the most polished pass rusher at this point in his career, but the Ravens have a strong track record of developing edge players. He also gets to reunite with former teammates Odafe Oweh and Jordan Stout. This is about as good an environment for him to start his pro career in as he could have hoped.

Isaac should have the opportunity to find playing time early in his career, as the Ravens typically rotate their edge rushers frequently. He should have the inside track to be at least the fourth edge, primarily playing on early downs. He was a great run defender for the Nittany Lions, and I think it will translate to the NFL.

If he wants to become a true starter, however, he does need to add moves to his pass-rush arsenal. Right now, he primarily just tries to win with speed around the edge, and his success rate is very hit-or-miss. He should have enough size and athleticism to improve, but he never put it all together as a college player.

As I mentioned before, the Ravens are one of the best at developing edge rushers. If anyone can get Isaac to reach his ceiling, it’s them. Even if he never becomes a true starter, he should be valuable depth for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Hard to complain about that.

USA TODAY grades Day 2 NFL draft picks of Penn State players

USA TODAY Sports grades the draft selections of Day 2 picks from Penn State.

After watching two players get drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Day 1 of the draft, Penn State saw two more of its players be drafted by NFL franchises on Day 2. Offensive tackle Caedan Wallace may have gone a little earlier than some expected, and defensive end Adisa Isaac looks like a bit of a bargain as a late third-round draft pick. But how are those picks being graded?

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY Sports graded every pick from Day 12 of the NFL draft and was seemingly not too impressed with the decisions by two teams to draft Penn State players.

The New England Patriots selected offensive tackle Caedan Wallace with an early third-round draft pick on Day 2, but Middlehurst-Scwartz was not convinced Wallace would be the type of player that could be reliable in protecting the Patriots’ first-round quarterback, Drake Maye of North Carolina. He gave the Patriots a “C” grade for their pick of Wallace.

“[Patriots general manager] Eliot Wolf’s mission to reconfigure New England’s offense continues, as he turns his attention to the Patriots’ front,” Middlehurst-Scwartz said in his breakdown. “Wallace can handle some kind of role along the line, but serving as Drake Maye’s blindside protector seems like a stretch.”

He was a bit more optimistic about the Baltimore Ravens making the decision to draft Adisa Isaac late in the third round. Middlehurst-Schwartz gave the Ravens a “B+” with their selection of the Penn State edge rusher.

“It’s difficult to find pass rushers with premium traits beyond the first two rounds, but the 6-4, 247-pound Isaac boasts the frame and burst to ascend to a starting role,” Middlehurst-Schwartz said. “Though he needs more of a plan in his rushes, he could be an important part of the Ravens’ reloading effort on defense.”

You can see all of USA TODAY’s draft grades for every pick of the second and third rounds to see how your favorite NFL team did. You can also see all of the first-round draft grades, which were solid for the Jets drafting Olu Fashanu and the Dolphins selecting Chop Robinson.

Catch all of the latest updates from the NFL draft with USA TODAY’s live draft tracker. For a look at each Penn State draft prospect, be sure to check out our Penn State NFL draft tracker.

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Ravens select edge rusher Adisa Isaac with 93rd overall pick in 2024 NFL draft

Ravens select DE Adisa Isaac with 93rd overall pick

Adisa Isaac made a list of Day 2 prospects for Baltimore to watch, and in Round 3, Eric DeCosta landed Chop Robinson’s running mate at Penn State.

Baltimore landed a talented but raw pass rusher with the 93rd overall pick.

Last season, Isaac led Penn State with 7.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.

Isaac is a 6-foot-4, 247-pound outside linebacker who plays violently and has great speed off the edge.

Adisa Isaac drafted by Ravens in 3rd round of 2024 NFL draft

The Baltimore Ravens added another Penn State defensive lineman to their roster with a late third-round draft pick.

The wait is over for Penn State edge rusher [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag]. The Baltimore Ravens used a late third-round pick of the 2024 NFL draft to add Isaac to their defense, giving Penn State its fourth NFL draft pick of the year.

The Ravens selected Isaac with the 30th pick of Round 3 of the NFL draft on Friday evening. Isaac was the 94th overall pick in this year’s draft. He is the second of two third-round draft picks, joining offensive lineman Caedan Wallace.

Isaac will join a Ravens defense that includes another former Penn State defensive end, [autotag]Odafe Oweh[/autotag]. Oweh was a first-round pick of the Ravens in 2021.

Isaac was the top-ranked recruit in the state of New York when he committed to Penn State in the Class of 2019, and he came with early expectations of being an early-round draft pick in the NFL. It may be safe to say he met those expectations. Isaac committed to Penn State over offers from Miami, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Auburn.

Isaac made appearances in 11 games as a true freshman in 2019 and saw some playing time during the 2020 COVID season. He missed the 2021 season due to injury but returned to start all 13 games for the Nittany Lions in 2022 and continued to be a defensive starter and leader in 2023 instead of entering the NFL draft a year ago. Isaac earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for the 2023 season after being a third-team All-Big Ten player in 2022.

Catch all of the latest updates from the NFL draft with USA TODAY’s live draft tracker. For a look at each Penn State draft prospect, be sure to check out our Penn State NFL draft tracker.

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20 best players available for Ravens on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL draft

Day One of the 2024 NFL draft is in the books, and it was a historic night. Six quarterbacks were selected in the first 12 picks, and 23 offensive players were selected, the most ever. Baltimore was able to land one of the top cornerbacks on the …

Day One of the 2024 NFL draft is in the books, and it was a historic night. Six quarterbacks were selected in the first 12 picks, and 23 offensive players were selected, the most ever.

Baltimore was able to land one of the top cornerbacks on the board without trading up.

Rounds two and three will play out on Friday night, and the Eagles will have two picks in Round 2 and none in Round 3.

Here is our list of the best players on the board during day two of the NFL draft.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid predicts record NFL draft for Penn State in 7-round mock draft

The 2024 NFL draft could see Penn State match a school record for the most draft picks in a single draft according to this mock draft from ESPN.

The NFL draft is now just days away, and NFL draft analysts are putting out their final thoughts on the class. One popular final note that analysts churn out is a massive seven-round mock with every pick accounted for. It’s a huge (and potentially pointless) endeavor, but the amount of time and effort is praiseworthy.

Penn State has a large class of potential picks, and fans will be happy to hear that one analyst was able to fit all 10 draftable prospects into his final mock. Jordan Reid of ESPN took on the challenge of predicting every pick of the draft, and he clearly is a big fan of the talented Nittany Lions in this class.

Let’s start at the top, where he predictably had star offensive lineman [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] as his first Nittany Lion off the board. He selected him at 14th overall to the New Orleans Saints, one of his more popular destinations this draft season. Fashanu would likely be an immediate starter for the Saints and potentially a top-ten left tackle sooner rather than later.

[autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] was the next Penn State prospect off the board, landing with a popular destination for him as well at 26th overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers need a young, explosive edge rusher to replace former Pro Bowl edge Shaq Barrett, so this landing spot could be great for Robinson.

Reid surprised me a bit with how high the next Nittany Lion came off the board, with edge rusher [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] being selected 40th overall by the Washington Commanders. Isaac is a high-floor player that new Head Coach Dan Quinn will likely value highly.

After those three, Penn State fans had to wait a while to see another Nittany Lion selected. Tight end Theo Johnson was selected at 121st overall by the Denver Broncos, likely slotting in as a good backup immediately. Two more Penn State prospects were picked up in the next five picks, with offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad at 122 to the Chicago Bears and fellow lineman Caedan Wallace going at 127 to the Houston Texans.

Not much farther down the board, Reid adds another Nittany Lion to Denver’s roster by grabbing linebacker Curtis Jacobs at 147th overall. Now in the sixth round, Reid ends corner Kalen King’s big slide down the board at 186 to the Arizona Cardinals. King’s draft season has been a disaster, but he would have a chance to make an impact for a Cardinals team desperate for defensive talent.

Reid finishes his predicted landing spots for Penn State prospects by picking corners Johnny Dixon and Daequan Hardy at 205 and 228 respectively. Dixon joins Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions, and Hardy ends up with the Baltimore Ravens. Both of those teams need help in the secondary, so they should have a chance to compete for a role early.

Overall, I like the fit for the majority of these picks. We all want to see these guys succeed at the next level, and I think if these picks were to happen for real all of them would have a good shot to make it in the NFL.

 

Where PFF ranks Penn State’s top 2024 NFL draft prospects

How does PFF rank Penn State’s draft prospects just before the 2024 NFL draft?

The 2024 NFL draft is approaching and the final player rankings are rolling out before the first round gets underway. Pro Football Focus unveiled its final big board for the 2024 NFL draft, and a couple of Penn State players

Offensive tackle [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] remains Penn State’s top draft prospect, and PFF has him ranked in the top 20 overall. Fashanu is ranked no. 17 in the PFF player rankings, but he is not the top offensive tackle on the board according to the rankings. Fashanu is the fourth offensive tackle on PFF’s big board.

Notre Dame’s Joe Alt (no. 5 overall), Oregon State’s Taliese Guaga, and Washington’s Troy Fautanu (no. 15) are all ranked ahead of Fashanu at the position. Fashanu was once considered a near-lock to be the top offensive tackle taken in the 2024 NFL draft, but the PFF big board suggests a few players at the same position will have a shot to go ahead of him. But, it is likely PFF still considers Fashanu a first-round talent with a top-20 player ranking. Of course, that all depends on how many teams need an offensive tackle in the first round. Fortunately, offensive tackle is a pretty important position.

Penn State edge rushers [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] (no. 38) and [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] (no. 40) are the next highest-ranked Penn State players on the big board according to PFF. Isaac appears to be trending in a positive direction according to PFF following his results and performance this offseason, while Robinson’s stock may have dipped a slight bit. PFF did give Robinson a higher regular season grade in its evaluation than Issac received.

Center [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag] received the no. 111 ranking from the PFF big board, making him a potentially draftable asset. Tight end [autotag]Theo Johnson[/autotag] is ranked no. 135. Offensive tackle [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag] come sin at no. 142 overall.

[autotag]Kalen King[/autotag], once viewed by draft analysts as a potential first-round pick and arguably the top cornerback in the draft pool, has seen the biggest slide in his overall draft stock. PFF currently ranks King at no. 177 overall, a far cry from his previous draft outlook. [autotag]Johnny Dixon[/autotag] makes an appearance at no. 192. Linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] is ranked no. 207, and could be a potential bargain at that ranking for some NFL team. Speedy cornerback [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag] is ranked no. 251 on the PFF big board.

See the full PFF big board to see how the draft pros[ects stack up before the 2024 NFL draft.

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Best photos of NFL draft prospect Adisa Isaac

Best photos from Adisa Isaac’s Penn State career.

Although not considered the top Penn State draft prospect this draft season, defensive end [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] has had perhaps the best spring out of all Penn State’s draft-eligible players.

Countless NFL pundits have pointed out Isaac as a riser this spring, especially during the Senior Bowl when he wowed scouts with his athleticism. He is cementing himself as a bonafide second-round pick. In a draft considered to be lacking quality edge defenders, teams may see tremendous value and upside in selecting the Penn State defensive lineman.

Here are some of the best photos of Adisa Isaac during his time at Penn State.

Four Penn State players among consensus top 100 NFL prospects

NFL draft experts agree that these four Penn State players are among the top 100 in the 2024 NFL draft.

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.

Penn State NFL draft prospect stock watch: Adisa Isaac

What does the NFL draft stock look like for Penn State’s Adisa Isaac?

As the NFL draft approaches, NFL teams will continue finalizing their draft boards and deciding when and where they want to target needs. Penn State has multiple players who are fighting for positioning within their respective position groups, and few have helped themselves more to this point than edge rusher [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag].

Isaac started his final season in Happy Valley under the shadow of his ultra-talented teammate and fellow pass-rusher [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag]. Despite that, he was ultimately the more productive player in 2023, proving he was worthy of serious NFL interest. His performance at the Senior Bowl raised his profile even higher, so much so that he was starting to be mocked in the late first round by some analysts.

His NFL combine performance was very good, but it didn’t blow anyone away for a lighter pass-rusher. It didn’t help that Robinson had a day to remember, likely taking eyes away from Isaac’s showing. Still, his athleticism was nothing to sneeze at.

 

Looking at how the media views a player isn’t always a good indicator of where they will be drafted, but it is a good way to see how the perception of them has changed throughout the process. Looking at Isaac’s profile on Mock Draft Database, he has been in the late-second/early-third range for months now. There has been a dip since the combine, but overall his range hasn’t fluctuated much.

While his stock has technically fallen, his draft range was always going to be closer to mid-to-late day 2. He is a rock-solid run defender who will be valuable on early downs, but his pass-rush ability may be less effective at the next level. His first step is only average, and he doesn’t have enough power to make up for when he can’t turn the corner on tackles.

He is still worth a day-2 selection, and that is exactly where the media has him going. Only time will tell if a team likes him enough to take him even higher.

Stock: Down