Penn State, like most of the other Big Ten programs, was only fair ta middlin’ in the NFL Draft. Wisconsin provided one player for each of the first six rounds to tie for tops in the conference with Michigan State. Iowa had five, including one first-rounder, while four selections tied the Nittany Lions with Ohio State, Nebraska, and Illinois (although Illinois had two first-rounders and two seconds), followed by Michigan with three, and both Purdue and Northwestern with two. Indiana and Minnesota… well… the big ZERO.
Defensive Tackle Devon Still was projected by many pundits to be a first-round pick; however, he wound up being chosen toward the bottom of the second round, as fifty-third overall pick. He will be an important component of the Cincinnati Bengals’ rebuilding program. The Bengals had a very successful draft and should be a contender in the AFC North.
Johnnie Troutman and Jack Crawford were 14th and 23rd picks, respectively, in the fifth round, with Troutman going to San Diego and Crawford joining former teammate Stefen Wisniewski in Oakland. Nate Stupar was chosen by Oakland as well, 23rd pick in the seventh round. (Mr. Irrelevant was the 46th pick this year, Chandler Harnish, QB from Northern Illinois, chosen by the Indianapolis Colts. No doubt, Andrew Luck is quaking in his size 15 boots.)
Undrafted were D’anton Lynn, Eric Latimore, Joe Suhey, Chaz Powell, Stephfon Green, Quinn Barham, Derek Moye, Drew Astorino, and Nick Sukay. Nick Sukay has been picked up by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent (UFA). Andrew Szczerba, who was not even on my draft list, was signed by the Dallas Cowboys. Quinn Barham, who is so obscure that his first name was listed as “Sam” on the NFL site, was signed by the Detroit Lions. Finally, Eric Latimore went to the Minnesota Vikings.
That leaves Lynn, Suhey, Powell, Green, Moye, and Astorino. They are still chances that someone will take a chance on them as UFA’s, but it would be best if they brush up on their life insurance underwriter exams in any case.
Michael H. Geldner says
I’m a little surprised that Moye and Powell weren’t courted.
The Nittany Turkey says
Moye and Powell both had grades in the low 50s, which means they just aight. There was a lot of talent out there and it seemed to this Turkey like NFL teams were staying away from Penn State just a little longer than they would have were it not for all the notoriety of the past year.
—TNT