Tag: Shaka Toney

Penn State football 2021 NFL draft player signing tracker

How much are former Penn State players making on their rookie contracts in the NFL in 2021?

Penn State managed to send two players through the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, and one more in the second round. When all was said and done, a total of six Penn State players ended up hearing their names announced as NFL draft picks during the course of the 2021 NFL draft. But now that the draft is in the books, these players are already getting to work with their new NFL teams.

So, what now for these former Nittany Lions like linebacker Micah Parsons and tight end Pat Freiermuth? Signing those first NFL contracts! As is typical, the later-round draft picks are easier and quicker to sign their NFL contracts, as the higher draft picks tend to have a little more negotiating power even if rookie contracts can be relatively standard.

We’ll keep tabs on all of the draft pick contracts to be signed this year by Penn State players who have become NFL rookies in 2021, and we will update this information as needed when more information does become available. Contract details used here are obtained through the terrific sports contract resources available from Spotrac.

Rookie pass-rusher Shaka Toney could be an immediate contributor for Washington in 2021

When the Washington Football Team selected Penn State edge rusher Shaka Toney in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL draft, many viewed it as

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When the Washington Football Team selected Penn State edge rusher, Shaka Toney in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL draft, many viewed it as a depth pick for the future. Or, perhaps, Toney could become a standout on special teams.

Over the past week, we’ve had the chance to dive into the college career of Toney and clearly believe the rookie could help Washington as soon as 2021.

At just over 6-foot-2 and 242 pounds, Toney doesn’t possess the size of a defensive end at the NFL level. However, he does fit the profile of an outside linebacker; is that something he could do in Washington?

The Football Team needs depth at edge rusher in 2021 behind Chase Young and Montez Sweat. Ryan Kerrigan is still a free agent, but the team wants to see what it has in younger players like Toney and fellow draftee William Bradley-King.

The problem with Toney is he fits into a similar profile as former Washington second-round pick Ryan Anderson. Anderson, who was drafted as a 3-4 outside linebacker, was moved to defensive end in 2020 when Ron Rivera took over as head coach.

Anderson was clearly the No. 4 rusher behind Young, Sweat and Kerrigan and never appeared comfortable as a 4-3 defensive end. Many fans wanted to see the team try him and as an outside linebacker, but the team obviously didn’t see that fit.

Washington did not retain Anderson after the 2020 season.

Toney fits the same mold as several of Washington’s other draft choices. He offers versatility and athleticism. He scored a 9.47 in Kent Platte’s Relative Athletic Score.

During his time at Penn State, Toney was a four-year contributor. As a reserve in 2017, he finished with 20 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and four sacks. He followed that up in 2018 with 23 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss in five sacks.

Toney became a starter in 2019, recording 41 tackles, 8.5 for loss and six sacks. He was named second-team All-Big Ten.

As a senior in 2020, Toney finished with 31 tackles, 7.5 for loss and leading the team with five sacks in nine games. He was named first-team All-Big Ten.

That’s a pretty solid career.

Of course, that production means nothing at the NFL level. But there is a path for Toney to help Washington in 2021. His size will never allow him to be an every-down defensive end in the NFL. However, he can be used on pass-rushing downs to give either Sweat or Young a breather.

Watch Toney here.

What about trying him as a strongside linebacker?

Toney was invited to the Senior Bowl in January and showed the ability to stick with tight ends down the seam. Washington has made it a priority to have athletic defenders who can cover. While Toney didn’t do a lot of that in college, he did display at the Senior Bowl he has the necessary skills.

Washington coaches will have a plan for Toney once they see him this summer in training camp. And expect Toney to be ready for the challenge.

I believe Toney ends up making Washington’s final roster this summer and becomes a key backup in 2021. The key thing here is versatility. He can not only help on special teams but provide depth at both defensive end and linebacker.

Washington selects Penn State edge Shaka Toney in the 2021 NFL draft

The Washington Football Team used their second consecutive seventh-round draft pick to choose an edge rusher, choosing Penn State’s Shaka

The Washington Football Team used their second consecutive seventh-round draft pick to choose an edge rusher, choosing Penn State’s Shaka Toney at No. 246 overall.

Washington chose William Bradley-King of Baylor with its first seventh-round choice. Bradley-King is also an edge rusher.

A Philadelphia native, Toney was a four-year contributor for the Nittany Lions. He was a top reserve and special-teams contributor in his first two seasons before moving into the starting lineup in 2019.

Toney tied the Penn State record in 2018 when he recorded four sacks in a single game. He finished his career with 20.5 sacks for the Nittany Lions and was a captain for his senior season.

Toney has good size and is a solid athlete. Another player with great character and a strong work ethic. He and Bradley-King will compete to earn a spot on Washington’s 53-man roster in 2021. You really have to like Toney’s experience, as he is game-tested against some of the best teams in college football.

Penn State’s NFL draft history through the years

With plenty of Penn State talent, we take a look at the history of players that get their name called on draft night.

The 2021 NFL Draft is slated to kick off around 8 PM ET on Thursday night. Football fans are getting excited (and nervous) to see how their favorite teams’ front offices decide which players they want to develop into future stars.

This year, Penn State has a handful of players that should get their name called over the next several days. Top draft prospects Micah Parsons will hear his name on Thursday night pending any chaos that unfolds. Jayson Oweh has been mocked in the first round, but he could fall down to the top half of the second round along with tight end Pat Freiermuth.

Shaka Toney, Lamont Wade, Will Fries and Michael Menet fill out the rest of the 2021 draft prospects for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State football has had 361 drafted players over the years, which is tied for third-most in the Big Ten (behind Michigan and Ohio State) and sixth-most all-time.

In the 2020 NFL Draft, Penn State had five players drafted. Yetur Gross-Matos (Panthers), KJ Hamler (Broncos), John Reid (Texans), Cam Brown (Giants), and Robert Windsor (Colts).

The 1987 NFL Draft was the best year for Penn State football. After coming off a National Championship win over the Miami Hurricanes, 13 players were drafted. LB Shane Conlan was drafted 8th overall to the Buffalo Bills and RB D.J. Dozier was selected 14th overall to the Minnesota Vikings.

Since 2006, the Nittany Lions have had at least one player drafted for 15 straight years. 62 players during that 15-year span that sported the blue and white had their name called.

Make sure to tune in to the 2021 NFL Draft to see which Penn State players get to be a part of the rich history of NFL players to come out of Happy Valley.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

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A look at the Big Ten sack leaders from 2020

It seems like every football season a strong point of the Big Ten is its tough defenses. This year was no different, as teams like Ohio S…

In a league traditionally known for defense, this year was no different. The Big Ten conference had a number of top defenses as well as dominant pass rushers in 2020. Related: PHOTOS: Wisconsin football’s ninth spring practice of the year

Despite Wisconsin playing fewer games than most of the Big Ten last season, their defense was ranked as one of the best defenses in the country led by linebackers Jack Sanborn and Leo Chenal. In fact, Chenal was the only Badger to crack the top 15 of this list. Luckily, this phenomenal pair of linebackers will be returning to lead the Badger defense this upcoming season.

Below is the ranking of the top 15 players in sacks per game from the Big Ten Conference 2020 season. Players from Wisconsin, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Rutgers, Maryland, Indiana, Illinois and Minnesota have all made the rankings.

2021 NFL draft: EDGE prospects in each round for Colts

EDGE is the biggest need for the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts will be entering the 2021 NFL draft looking to add to their biggest need, which most would say comes on the edge of the defensive line.

While finding a left tackle will be a priority as well, the Colts are staring at a potential problem with their pass rush from the edge. As it stands, the starters at defensive end include Kemoko Turay, Ben Banogu and Al-Quadin Muhammad. Turay and Banogu have plenty of upside but if they don’t make significant strides, the pass rush will continue to be inconsistent.

The draft doesn’t offer many blue-chip edge rushers, although there are some prospects who should intrigue the Colts. They could look to address the room in the first round or decide to wait and address other needs. We also took a look at wide receiver prospects in each round for Indy.

Here is an edge rusher prospect in every round for the Colts:

Which Penn State players appear in CBS Sports’ complete, seven-round NFL mock draft?

CBS Sports published a full seven-round draft pick for the 2021 NFL Draft, and a handful of Penn State players made the list.

Mock draft season is coming down the final stretch of the offseason leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft in Cleveland. Penn State figures to have a handful of players having their names called during the NFL draft, including linebacker Micah Parsons as a lock for the first round and Jayson Oweh having a shot of joining his defensive teammate. But after the first round, just how many Penn State players will be getting that desired call to the NFL?

CBS Sports published a full seven-round mock draft from draft analyst Chris Trapasso to attempt mapping out just how everything will go down, and a grand total of four Penn State players made the cut. But one particular pick may be a bit surprising compared to other mock drafts that have recently been updated.

Below is a look at where the Nittany Lions land in Trapasso’s full mock draft on CBS Sports. Check out the full seven-round mock draft to see what players your favorite NFL team may be picking up along the way.

WATCH: Penn State’s Shaka Toney discusses the process leading up to pro day

Penn State’s Shaka Toney discussed the process leading up to Penn State’s pro day and dealing with COVID-19 concerns.

We are one month away from the NFL draft and teams from around the league will get one final chance to see some of the top draft prospects during their pro day events.

Penn State defensive lineman Shaka Toney spoke to the media following his workout at Penn State’s pro day and discussed the process of doing the combine-like event during COVID19 and the process leading up to today.

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During the 2020 season, Shaka Toney started all nine games, made 31 tackles (21 solo) to go along with a team-leading five sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble.

Follow us on Twitter @NittanyLionWire and like us on Facebook for continuing coverage and commentary on the Nittany Lions.

PHOTOS: Penn State’s first round NFL draft picks since joining the Big Ten

Giants’ Joe Judge attends wildly impressive Penn State Pro Day

New York Giants head coach Joe Judge was in person for an incredibly impressive PSU pro day that featured a lot of Sean Spencer praise.

Penn State players absolutely showed out during their official pro day on Thursday, and New York Giants head coach Joe Judge was front and center for all of the action.

Judge watched on as 2021 NFL draft hopefuls such as linebacker Micah Parsons, defensive end Shaka Toney, edge rusher Jayson Oweh and tight end Pat Freiermuth put on a show.

And we’re not kidding. Numbers across the board will raise the draft stock of several PSU players.

Beyond just the numbers, several Penn State players offered up high praise for Giants defensive line coach Sean Spencer, who held that position at PSU from 2014-2019.

There was a lot to take away from the performance of the players and their comments, but one thing is for certain: don’t be surprised if the Giants target a Penn State player over the first three rounds of the draft.

The connection to Spencer is strong, but the versatility and athleticism of PSU players is what will attract Judge & Co.

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An edge rush prospect for Cowboys to consider drafting for all 7 rounds

Tim Lettiero reviews seven defensive ends that can fit into Dan Quinn’s new system in each round in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.

The Dallas Cowboys defensive line is going to look different under new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Of this fans should have no doubt. Quinn likes to employ two counter-acting defensive ends. On the left is a 4-technique who plays directly over the tackle, or a 5-technique who plays on the outside shoulder of the tackle. This role is typically referred to as a 4-3 base end. On the right he favors a position known as the LEO.

This position has a bit versatility as to how it lines up, however the main goal is to capitalize on the player’s athleticism. They can line up with their hand in the dirt in a Wide-9 position (outside shoulder of the tight end) or standing up. Current starters Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory fit both of these roles well, however the depth behind them is questionable. The recently signed Tarell Basham joins the likes of Ron’Dell Carter, Bradlee Anae and Dorance Armstrong as relatively safe back ups and rotational pieces, but this position could still use addressing.

Here are options in each round of the upcoming 2021 NFL draft for Cowboys Nation to become familiar with.