Penn State Joins Elite Company in the 2022 NFL Draft

The Lions are among six teams with multiple top-50 prospects, according to analyst Dane Brugler. Four went to the CFP.

Penn State brings some top-end talent to the 2022 NFL Draft, joining the four returning College Football Playoff qualifiers and Ohio State at the top of Dane Brugler's draft guide.

Brugler, the NFL analyst who produces an annual draft guide known as The Beast, ranks three Penn State players among the draft's top 50 prospects. The Lions join an elite list of 2021 teams with multiple top-50 prospects.

Penn State, Michigan and Alabama are tied with three such prospects, ahead of Cincinnati and Ohio State (two each). Defending national champ Georgia has a commanding lead with seven prospects in Brugler's top 50.

Receiver Jahan Dotson is the highest-ranked Penn State player at No. 25, followed by defensive end/linebacker Arnold Ebiketie (28) and safety Jaquan Brisker (42). All three were All-Americans last season who rank among the top six players at their positions, according to Brugler.

With these three players in contention, Penn State could produce first-round picks in back-to-back drafts for the first time since 2009-10. Last year, Micah Parsons and Odafe Oweh went 12th and 31st overall.

Further, Penn State has not had multiple first-round picks in consecutive drafts since 1995-96. In those drafts, Penn State had three first-round picks in 1995 (Ki-Jana Carter, Kerry Collins and Kyle Brady) and two in 1996 (Jeff Hartings and Andre Johnson).

Brugler's 288-page draft guide, called "The Beast," is available at The Athletic.

The 2022 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 28-30 in Las Vegas.

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