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nouncing his decision, Posluszny, who was recovering from a knee injury he had suffered in the Orange Bowl, cited a con- versation with Conlan in which the for- mer Penn State great described his decision process and how it enabled him to develop into a first-round pick. "Hearing that story… really helped out," he said. "It really made me feel more comfortable about staying." Things worked out pretty well for Posluszny, too. He was drafted in the second round by the Bills and went on to become a Pro Bowl linebacker, enjoying an 11-year NFL career before retiring last March. But pro football constantly evolves, on the field and off, and the economics of the modern NFL, coupled with a more thorough understanding of the physical toll that the game imposes, have created an incentive for players to leave college as early as possible. That was evident this month when five Nittany Lion jun- iors declared themselves eligible for the draft. Of those players, only one – de- fensive tackle Kevin Givens – was con- sidered a surprise. There had been indi- cations that the other four – running back Miles Sanders, defensive end Sha- reef Miller and offensive linemen Ryan Bates and Connor McGovern – were thinking seriously about leaving early. Miller's exit had long been considered a sure thing, while McGovern had begun to turn up in some draft gurus' lists of top offensive guard prospects. Bates had started for three seasons and showed he could play both guard and tackle, mak- ing him a potentially valuable commod- ity at the pro level. Sanders was on the fence for a long time, telling reporters prior to the Citrus Bowl that "it's going to be the hardest decision of my life." Ultimately, the opportunity proved too alluring to pass up. As for Givens, if his thought process was more inscrutable than that of his teammates, it was only because he was assumed to be returning. In retrospect, though, his decision makes sense. He enjoyed a very strong junior season in which he finished with 10.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and four quarterback hurries. Bates and McGovern may have been bearing in mind the success that former teammate Brendan Mahon had found in Carolina. After going undrafted last spring, Mahon wowed the Panthers' coaching staff as a free agent during preseason camp and made the team's 53-man roster as an offensive guard. He may not have left school early, but he did show that the NFL is a meritocracy in which all prospects have a chance to excel, regardless of their draft position- ing. Bates and McGovern could have stuck around one more year and maybe improved their draft stock, but the rookie wage scale has put a limit on what draftees can earn in their first contract. So unless they thought that they could play their way into the first round next year, it might well have been in their fi- nancial interests to come out now and start making money right away. Sanders likely faced a similar choice. Unlike his predecessor, Saquon Barkley, S I T E L I N E S B W I . R I V A L S . C O M R E A D E R S W E I G H I N O N P E N N S T A T E ' S E A R L Y E X I T S Shareef Miller and Miles Sanders are NFL players. Connor McGovern has a long way to go. (I wonder how many true junior offensive linemen typically declare? I would assume very few.) Ryan Bates is in the middle. Kevin Givens, yes, I'm sure he will test very well but it won't be enough to trump what they see on film. Ceasar McGovern and Bates are not stupid. If the offensive line market is down this year as some have projected, them coming out makes total sense. Honestly, I'm kind of shocked that Steven Gonzalez hasn't pulled the trigger as well. ptomaselli [Bates] was a guard playing tackle the last two years. When he played at guard he was really good, so I could see him having a nice NFL career. Mc- Govern, Givens and Miller need the extra year, and I agree Sanders really doesn't help himself out by coming back for another year. The biggest is- sues with Sanders are fumbling and not always running north/south. When he runs north/south, he is tough to bring down and breaks a lot of tackles. Barring injuries, I think he will have a solid NFL career. Grass Not that surprised in hindsight with respect to Givens. I assumed he had graduated and likely has reached his ceiling. Give the NFL a shot and get on with his life if it doesn't work out. I think a lot of players are not all that enamored with going to grad school just to play one more college season, with an afterlife in the NFL being un- certain. HartfordLion How many guys have we sent early from the offensive line? Now, the re- cruiting pitch is that we sent two or three into the league early. That is a good recruiting pitch. It sounded to me like another year and both of these guys could have been second- or third-rounders (or better). roswelllion In regards to Sanders, one of the things he does best is block. That will only help his draft stock. I wonder how many running backs coming out block as well as he does? LION1986 McGovern and Bates will do just fine and have successful NFL careers in a pro-style offense. They have maxed out their performances at Penn State in this run-pass zone read scheme. lions#1 None of them would have improved their draft stock if they stayed. They all made the right decision. Booooyah

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