Up Next: Predicting Penn State's 2019 NFL Draft class
Penn State's six drafted players over the weekend, highlighted by No. 2 overall pick Saquon Barkley to the New York Giants, is the most from the program since 2010.
In fact, the Nittany Lions have only sent six to the draft three times since 2000.
So the question now is, will the surge of Nittany Lions entering the NFL be a one-off, or the start of a trend? Given the small number of seniors-to-be for Penn State's 2018 season, the likelihood of another big class doesn't seem great, but up-and-coming juniors could push the number at least somewhat.
Let's take a look at some of the draft-eligible prospects on Penn State's roster for the upcoming season.
Trace McSorley: 6-foot, 198 pounds
Projection: All those who pegged McSorley as an NFL quarterback at the onset of his Penn State career, please raise your hands now.
In fact, forget his prospects as an NFL signal-caller. All those who pegged McSorley to set a number of Penn State records and have just 1,088 passing yards separating his current total from that of the all-time number, also raise your hands now.
Certainly few would have projected this type of career for the gritty QB, but the reality remains that McSorley has cemented himself among the best to ever play the position at Penn State.
Behind an improving offensive line, McSorley's completion percentage jumped from 57.9 during the Rose Bowl run of 2016 to 66.5 last year en route to a Fiesta Bowl win. That jump is not an accident, and even with new pieces to whom he'll need to deliver the ball this season without Barkley, DaeSean Hamilton, or Mike Gesicki around, McSorley will be counted upon even more to be precise in the months ahead.
Surely, McSorley will have to make believers of NFL general managers and front office staff through the course of the next 12 months, but only one franchise needs to be convinced for the Nittany Lion product to earn a draft pick next year. According to The Sporting News, McSorley is considered the fifth-best QB prospect for the 2019 draft.
And though the comparisons aren't exactly bulletproof, Baker Mayfield's success or failure in his first NFL season could certainly impact perceptions of McSorley as the 2019 draft approaches.
Amani Oruwariye: 6-foot-1, 204 pounds
Projection: Amani Oruwariye's team-leading four interceptions last season prompted many to describe the corner as having a knack for the ball. That he didn't start a single game last season makes the accomplishment that much more impressive, highlighted by his second-team All-Big Ten selection.
Now a team leader heading into a fifth-year senior season, Oruwariye appears likely to earn that starting role and the attention that comes with it.
Mock draft gurus WalterFootball.com has Oruwariye given a preliminary rank as the No. 18 overall corner available for the 2019 draft.
Koa Farmer: 6-foot-1, 236 pounds
Projection: Farmer's Penn State story has been that of a man without a home, switching positions his first three seasons until finally landing full-time at linebacker a year ago. Starting all 13 games at Sam, Farmer finished sixth on the team in tackles with 48, and he factored plenty into Penn State's pass defense thanks to his versatility.
Meeting with the media this spring, Penn State head coach James Franklin laid out plainly what must happen for Farmer to earn an NFL future, though.
"I would say probably the biggest thing with Koa is this is his year," said Franklin. "He's one of the guys that's going to test really well when that time comes, but he's gotta play like it. At this point, he hasn't really played up to his speed, and I think that's what this spring and this summer will allow him to do. I think him and Cam Brown can have significant roles for us on the edge, two guys that have played a lot of football for us, but it's time for them to take that next step from being good backups to being good starters or dominant starters."
And there's the rub.
Just as an immediately relevant example, Farmer can look to Troy Apke - first off the board from Penn State's defense in the draft over the weekend - as a guy who can lift his stock during his senior season and especially after it.
Others under consideration:
DeAndre Thompkins - The kid can fly, and that goes a long way for an undersized receiver in the NFL. Last season, Thompkins finished with 28 receptions behind four guys all with 50+ receptions, three of whom just got drafted. Give him a breakout senior season and a big NFL combine and Thompkins could certainly work his way into next year's draft.
Chasz Wright - Wright hasn't blown people away in his Penn State career, but he has an opportunity to demonstrate some consistency in the season ahead. The biggest key for Wright is to get and stay healthy next year after a bumpy 2017 season.
Nick Scott - Scott isn't a back-to-back special teams captain without merit. He's smart, mature, and is headed for a starting role at safety in his last season of eligibility at Penn State. If he makes the most of it, he could find himself in an NFL camp.
Underclassmen
This is where things could get interesting for the Nittany Lions, simply because you never know who might blow up and find themselves ready for an NFL opportunity in the season ahead.
The possibilities here, however, would seem more plentiful than Penn State's senior class.
At no point have any of these guys said, suggested, or even hinted that an early look at the NFL would be a possibility, but the case could be made for more than a few if they would produce big campaigns during the 2018 season.
Juwan Johnson - The indisputable breakout of Penn State's 2017 season, Johnson finished second on the team in receptions with 54, and made his only touchdown count in the walk-off win at Iowa for the Nittany Lions. That said, the touchdown number needs to be an anomaly if Johnson is to leave after four years for the NFL. One of the more experienced weapons returning for McSorley, Johnson will absolutely get his opportunity to impress in the season ahead.
Ryan Bates - Bates is, at this point, a grizzled veteran on Penn State's offensive line. Starting eight games last season and another 14 the season before, Bates appears poised to again line up as Penn State's starting left tackle. And though he might not fall under the traditional prototype of an NFL left tackle, Bates could certainly make an argument for himself and his versatility with a strong redshirt junior season.
Miles Sanders - The earnings clock is ticking for everyone at this level, but especially the running back position. And though Sanders was left to simply clean up the scraps left behind by Barkley, his pedigree and the effusive praise of those around him suggest a big junior campaign could be in the works in 2018. Should that come to fruition from a heavy workload behind an improving offensive line, Sanders might be in the position to consider an early departure to the NFL.
Shareef Miller - With 11.0 TFLs last season on Penn State's defensive line, Miller was the only Nittany Lion to hit double-digits and led the team in sacks with 5.0 to go along with nine quarterback hurries. Those are big numbers and they're only likely to get bigger next season as he hopes to break Carl Nassib's single-season sacks record. Should he come anywhere close to hitting his mark, Miller would appear to be plenty qualified to earn a look at the next level.
Ryan Buchholz - If Miller has a blowup junior season, one might question whether or not Buchholz can do the same, simultaneously. Starting six games last season following a year-ending injury to Torrence Brown, Buchholz made 2.0 sacks and had 2.5 TFL while accumulating three quarterback hurries. No doubt, his production will have to skyrocket in the season ahead, but Buchholz appears likely to stick fully at end and could collect the dividends that come with it.
Kevin Givens - Brent Pry expects Givens to be a first-team All-Big Ten caliber defensive tackle in the season ahead, and Givens intends to deliver on that expectation. Needing to show consistency, if Givens comes through in a big way not only will the Nittany Lions enjoy the fruits of his labor, but also Givens could as well.
John Reid - This was supposed to be Reid's swan song as a Nittany Lion. Instead, derailed by a season-ending knee injury last spring, the Philadelphia native has two years of eligibility remaining. The question is whether or not he'll want to use both if he fully returns to form in the months ahead. In 2016, he started all 14 games and had a team-high 19 total passes broken up and defended.