Ever since [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] took over as the head coach at Penn State in 2014 they have seen their players become NFL players more often. We have seen players such as [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag], [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag], and this year [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] all go in the first round or be projected to be drafted that high.
Becoming a first-round player in the NFL is not something that happens very often for players even if they are highly-ranked recruits. Coaching staffs and competition play a major part but also it comes down to the physical development of the player.
Looking ahead as we enter the week of the 2023 NFL draft, Penn State has just one player who is being projected in the first round but what about in the years to come? Some of those players can already be identified or projected to be drafted highly by the NFL.