Tag: Olu Fashanu

Jets made attempts to trade up in first round of draft

Jets made attempts to trade up in first round of draft

The Jets traded down during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but according to SNY’s Connor Hughes, the team made an attempt to move up in the draft.

Hughes notes that Giants and Bears were “locked in” on LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers and Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze, respectively. That could lead one to believe the Jets were attempting to trade with those teams at No. 6 and No. 9, respectively.

Ultimately, those teams stayed put and added weapons for quarterbacks Daniel Jones and Caleb Williams. The Jets ended up getting mid-round picks from the Minnesota Vikings to move down one spot, from No. 10 to No. 11. In the end, the Jets added offensive line insurance with the selection of Penn State offensive lineman Olu Fashanu.

Grading the Jets pick of Penn State OT Olu Fashanu

What grade do you give the Jets for selecting Penn State OT Olu Fashanu?

The Jets have added insurance along the offensive line with the selection of Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu with the 11th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Instant grades? We got one right here.

We’ll give this pick a B+. No, it’s not the pass-catcher many fans wanted, especially with Brock Bowers still available (selected No. 13 by the Las Vegas Raiders) but the Jets needed extra help along the offensive line. They needed extra depth this season behind Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses and they needed a future starter. Fashanu checks those boxes.

Fashanu also reminds some of one of the greats in Jets history, offensive tackle and 2006 first-round pick D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Fashanu is powerful in the pass game and still has room to grow in the run game but is still plenty athletic in that department. Fashanu now has a chance to fine-tune his game while likely operating as the swing tackle behind Smith and Moses this season before taking over at left tackle in 2025.

The Jets had plenty of options in the first round that all would have worked out to be a solid pick at the very least. Fashanu was one of those picks.

Instant 2024 NFL Draft grades: New York Jets select Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn St 11th overall

Instant 2024 NFL Draft grades: New York Jets select Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn St 11th overall

The New York Jets move down one spot with the Vikings and snag another blindside protector for Aaron Rodgers in Penn State offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu.

Fashanu projects to add valuable depth behind Tyron Smith at left tackle, and gives him valuable time to build up on his immense talent. Given how unlucky New York has been when it comes to injury, it makes sense to lock in some depth and nab a future at your tackle spot.

A massive human with off the charts athleticism, Fashanu has the potential to be the best offensive tackle of this class. While his pass protection could use a bit of work and refinement, Fashanu projects well to be the next great tackle in New York.

Grade: B+

Jets select Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu with 11th pick

Jets select Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu with 11th pick

No first-round pass-catcher for the New York Jets. Instead, they add insurance along the offensive line. With the 11th pick, the Jets selected Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu.

The Jets acquired the 11th pick after trading down one spot in a deal with the Minnesota Vikings, who moved up to No. 10 to ensure they would get Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The Jets were able to add Fashanu and pick up an extra pick. The Jets acquired a fourth and a fifth from the Vikings in exchange for a seventh.

Fashanu has given some flashbacks to Jets great D’Brickashaw Ferguson. If Fashanu can play even half as good as Ferguson, the Jets will have gotten themselves a pretty good offensive tackle. Fashanu brings plenty of experience at left tackle, a position the Jets have needed stability at for quite some time. The last two years was a bit of a carousel due to injuries. This year, they are banking on former Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith. But now they have a succession plan in place at the position.

Penn State OT Olu Fashanu drafted by Jets with no. 11 overall pick in 2024 NFL draft

Penn State’s top draft prospect in the 2024 NFL draft is officially off the board!

Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu is officially heading off to the NFL. The New York Jets selected Fashanu with the no. 11 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night in Detroit, Michigan.

Fashanu was a part of Penn State’s Class of 2020 and committed to the Nittany Lions in the summer of 2019 out of his home state of Maryland. Fashanu committed to Penn State prior to visits to Florida and Michigan, which he canceled immediately after committing. He did not play for the Nittany Lions during the COVID-impacted 2020 season but did appear in nine games during the 2021 season. His first start came in the 2022 Outback Bowl against Arkansas, and he took over a starting role at left tackle for the 2022 season.

It did not take long for Fashanu to build a solid reputation as a draft prospect. After earning second-team All-Big Ten honors during the 2022 season, Fashanu made the surprising decision to return to Penn State for the 2023 season rather than declare early for the NFL draft. Fashanu was projected to be a possible first-round draft pick in the 2023 draft if he entered, and his return for Penn State did nothing to diminish that outlook overall.

Fashanu finished his college football career earning first-team All-Big Ten in 2023 and the Big Ten’s award for the conference’s top offensive lineman (Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year). He was also a consensus All-American for the 2023 season.

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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USC QB Caleb Williams announces who he wants the Bears to take at No. 9

Caleb Williams wants to play with a former high school teammate.

Once the Chicago Bears select former USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick on Thursday night, they will have no time to enjoy it. The Bears also hold the No. 9 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft and must immediately turn their attention to either getting Williams help on offense or a playmaker on defense.

On Thursday while speaking to the media, Williams announced who his top choice would be for Chicago with that next pick. Fashanu picked Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, who Williams played high school football with.

“I’d probably go Olu Fashanu because I know he’d put his life on the line for me,” Williams said.

Williams did concede his next choice would be one of the three big receivers falls to the Bears at No. 9. The most likely candidates would be Washington’s Rome Odunze or LSU’s Malik Nabers. The Bears, however, might have different plans and will go with one of the top defenders in the draft.

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Charles Davis shares mock draft with updated projections for Penn State prospects

Charles Davis shared his mock draft for the 2024 NFL draft. Here is where Penn State’s top draft prospects appear.

Mock draft season is about to close up shop, but there is still some time for final editions and adjustments to be made to mock drafts before the real thing kicks off on Thursday evening in Detroit. Among the football experts sharing their final mock drafts in the final hours of mock draft season is Charles Davis. Davis, like a number of final mock draft, predicts a pair of Nittany Lions going in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The highest Penn State player on Davis’ mock draft is offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, who has long been considered Penn State’s top draft prospect. According to Davis’ mock draft, Fashanu could be heading to the New Orleans Saints with the no. 14 overall selection.

“The Saints need a left tackle, and Fashanu is their guy,” Davis says in his mock draft analysis. If Davis’ prediction comes true, Fashanu will be the fourth offensive tackle selected in the NFL draft. In three versions of his mock draft this draft season, Davis has been firm on the Saints selecting Fashanu.

But the first round will not conclude without another Penn State star being selected according to Davis and his mock draft. Defensive end Chop Robinson is slotted at the no. 26 overall pick owned by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Davis’ mock draft.

“Tampa banks on the potential and expected elevation of this speedy edge rusher whose numbers should improve in the NFL,” said Davis.  Davis notes he could see the Bucs going with some help for the offensive line as well, specifically at center. But Penn State’s Hunter Nourzad would likely be far down the big board at the center position.

Davis did not have Robinson being selected in the first round of his second version of the mock draft, but he did have the Philadelphia Eagles picking him in his first edition with the no. 22 overall pick. So perhaps Robinson has momentum in his favor at the right time.

You can view the full Charles Davis mock draft via NFL.com. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also predicts Fashanu and Robinson going in the first round, although he is higher on both players in his first-round mock draft.

Penn State did not have a player selected in the first-round of the 2023 NFL draft, although cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was the no. 32 overall player selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers (there were only 31 draft picks in the first round due to the Miami Dolphins forfeiting a draft pick).

Here is a look back at every first-round draft pick in Penn State history. See where Penn State ranks on the all-time draft pick rankings heading into the 2024 draft, and see how the 18 Big Ten schools compare to each other.

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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.

 

Packers get Penn State OT Olu Fashanu in Rob Rang’s final mock draft

The Packers got Penn State OT Olu Fashanu in Rob Rang’s final mock draft for Fox Sports.

A review and breakdown of first-round predictions for the Green Bay Packers in final 2024 mock drafts from a few of the most prominent analysts in the business:

The mock draft: Rob Rang, FOX Sports

The pick: OT Olu Fashanu, Penn State

The reasoning: “Like the Cowboys, the Packers need to reinforce their offensive line given that the club appears to be moving on from longtime starting left tackle David Bakhtiari. Fashanu has the size and grace to warrant a selection much earlier than this, but he isn’t as powerful as some of his classmates and could slip slightly as a result. At this point in the draft, however, he could prove to be a steal.”

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Our breakdown: This scenario sure seems unlikely, given the league-wide need for help at offensive tackle and Fashanu’s status as one of the two or three best tackles in the class. No one in Green Bay would complain if a top-20 overall player at a premium need position falls. Fashanu is 21 years old, has elite athleticism and Pro Bowl upside at left tackle and would be a steal at 25. Interestingly enough, Fashanu and current Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker were teammates at Penn State, and Fashanu took over the left tackle spot for the Nittany Lions after Walker was injured to end the 2021 season and entered the 2022 draft.

The player info

Olu Fashanu

Height: 6-6
Weight: 312
Age: 21
40-yard dash: 5.11
Vertical leap: 32.0″
Broad jump: 9-1
Three-cone: DNP
Short shuttle: DNP
Bench press: DNP
RAS: 9.58
Pre-draft visit: No
Senior Bowl: No

Consensus big board rank: 16

Draft profile from Lance Zierlein: “A toolsy two-year starter with loads of potential, Fashanu is still learning to be less mechanical and more instinctive with his play. At this point, he could impose his traits upon most collegiate opponents and stack the deck in his favor. As a pro, he will need to play with better control and more consistent technique to prevent being countered and beaten by NFL talent. There is still room to get bigger and stronger, but he’s already playing with good focus and drive as a run blocker. Issues with footwork and landmarks can be corrected with more coaching. He’s long and has really effective recovery agility to help keep his quarterback clean, but inconsistent pass slides and excessive leaning could make things harder than they need to be early on. Overall, the work ethic, traits and tape make it easier to project Fashanu’s continued improvement into a very good left tackle.”

Doug Farrar compares Penn State duo to a couple of solid NFL regulars

What NFL player to you see in Chop Robinson and Olu Fashanu? Doug Farrar gives his take

With the NFL draft approaching this week, rankings galore are in full swing as mock drafts, big boards, and comparisons are being released.

USA TODAY’s Doug Farrar took his top 50 NFL draft prospects and gave each one an NFL player comparison.

Offensive tackle [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] and defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] made Farrar’s top 50 list.

After injuring himself at the combine, Fashanu did not have the best pre-draft process. He was once considered a top-10 selection but is now likely more of a mid-round pick. Farrar has the former Penn State left tackle as the 17th-best prospect and the third-best offensive tackle behind Washington’s Troy Fautanu and Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga.

Farrar’s NFL comparison for Fashanu is Minnesota Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw. Both are similarly athletic and big-bodied tackles who came into the NFL with questions surrounding technique.

Fashanu never allowed a sack in 733 pass-blocking snaps over three seasons for the Nittany Lions, and at 6′ 6″ and 312 pounds, he looks the very model of a modern left tackle with his speed and agility. There are some technique issues to work out, but in time, Fashanu could remind some of Darrisaw, who was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 23rd pick of the 2021 draft out of Virginia Tech. Darrisaw is a lighter tackle at 315 pounds, and he’s had few consistency issues in pass protection, but he’s that same type of athletic blocker. – Doug Farrar, USA TODAY

Darrisaw and Fashanu are similar prospects slated to be drafted around the same spot in the first round. As Farrar stated, Fashanu never gave up a sack as a Nittany Lion, whereas Darrisaw has had issues in pass protection at both levels. Perhaps this gives Fashanu an edge when comparing the two as prospects.
Throughout the pre-draft process, Robinson has consistently been compared to current Dallas Cowboys and former Penn State great[autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag]. It isn’t a bad comparison, but I believe there are more apt ones out there.
Farrar sees Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ edge rusher Shaquil Barrett in Robinson, and I like the pick.
Barrett and Robinson are flawed edge defenders, but they can be All-Pro or Pro Bowl-caliber players in the right situations. Robinson used his speed to dominate slower, less athletic tackles in college, but that won’t be the case in the NFL.

Robinson had three sacks and 26 total pressures in an injury-abbreviated 2023 season, but the metrics don’t concern me as much as the fact that his speed-rush game doesn’t always work — he can be eclipsed out of the rush by tackles and more persistent tight ends. As long as he’s set up in the NFL as a speed end as opposed to a do-it-all guy, he’ll be fine. In that regard, he’s a lot like Shaquil Barrett, who was an undrafted free agent out of Colorado State. The 2015 Denver Broncos took a flier on Barrett, and after a couple of seasons putting it together, Barrett had his first of four seasons of 10 or more sacks with the Broncos, and later, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. – Farrar

Considering Barrett went undrafted, Robinson, Farrar’s 30th-ranked player, is definitely the better prospect. However, peak Shaquil Barrett is probably what we can expect Chop Robinson’s ceiling to be at the next level. When Robinson gets his name called on draft day, the team and situation will be something to consider.
The NFL draft begins Thursday, April 25, at 8 p.m. ET in Detriot.
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