Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1495456
1 2 A P R I L 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State sent seven players to the NFL Scouting Com- bine, which took place Feb. 28-March 6 in Indianapolis. The Nittany Lions' contingent consisted of cornerback Joey Porter Jr., tight end Brenton Strange, center Juice Scruggs, defensive tackle PJ Mustipher, safety Ji'Ayir Brown, and receiv- ers Mitchell Tinsley and Parker Washington. Here's a look at how they fared: STOCK IMPROVED OR UNCHANGED JOEY PORTER JR. CB | 6-2 | 193 Pre-combine prediction: First or sec- ond round Post-combine prediction: First round Analysis: Penn State's top draft pros- pect didn't take part in field drills, but he did do most of the testing, includ- ing the 40-yard dash. Most analysts had expected that Porter would run in the 4.5s, but he surprised with a 4.47. While that might not seem like a big difference, a 6-foot-2 cornerback with better-than- expected speed is going to be a valuable commodity. Porter's other testing numbers were solid, notably his 1.5-second 10-yard split, which was tied for 11th among cornerbacks. He likely didn't improve his draft stock by jumping into the top 15 overall, but he did affirm his status as a first-round player. JUICE SCRUGGS C | 6-3 | 301 Pre-combine prediction: Fifth round Post-combine prediction: Fourth or fifth round Analysis: Scruggs performed above expectations. He went into the combine as a relative unknown nationally, but his overall performance in field drills and testing had several analysts praising his athletic skills. With his 1.79-second 10-yard split, Scruggs tied combine darling Cody Mauch of North Dakota State. In addition, his 32-inch vertical leap was sec- ond among centers. While his agility scores were lower than expected, he did well in on-field drills. With his 33-inch reach and a good frame, Scruggs proved he's got the physical skills to start in the NFL. Of the seven Penn State players at the com- bine he did the most to improve his stock. BRENTON STRANGE TE | 6-4 | 253 Pre-combine prediction: Fourth, fifth or sixth round Post-combine prediction: Fourth or fifth round Analysis: Strange helped himself by doing well in most of his testing, aside from the 40-yard dash, in which he turned in a 4.7-second time. He jumped well, ranking fourth among tight ends with a 36- inch vertical and fifth with a 10-foot, 4-inch broad jump. Strange's 31-inch arms are too short for an inline tight end, but he has the perfect size for an H-back spot in a run-first offense. He hit the sled well in run blocking and had one of the most well-rounded performances of his group. STOCK DOWN JI'AYIR BROWN S | 5-11 | 203 Pre-combine prediction: Third or fourth round Post-combine prediction: Late fourth round Analysis: Brown had the third-slowest 40 time of any safety at 4.65 seconds. It was an area of concern on his tape that showed up at the combine. And not only did his speed raise red flags, he didn't show much explosiveness in the vertical (32.5) or broad (9-11) jumps, finishing in the bottom quarter in both drills. Another concern is his size; he's 5-11 with 31-inch arms. We're still project- ing that he'll go in the fourth round, but there's a chance he slides into the fifth. PJ MUSTIPHER DT | 6-4 | 320 Pre-combine prediction: Sixth round Post-combine prediction: Undrafted free agent Analysis: This was the most surprising of Penn State's performances in Indianap- olis. No one expected Mustipher to be a standout, but his individual field work and testing numbers were both alarming. Mustipher's 40-yard dash time was the slowest among all defensive tackles and, at 5.41 seconds, was the fifth-slowest time of the entire combine. In addition, his 19 reps in the bench press ranked last among defensive tackles. Overall, Mustipher finished last or next-to-last in every drill. At this point, it's hard to see the appeal outside of his outstanding character and positional skills. While those are valuable qualities, he'll need to match up from a physical standpoint to make it in the NFL. MITCHELL TINSLEY WR | 6-0 | 199 Pre-combine prediction: Fourth or fifth round Post-combine prediction: Sixth round Analysis: Once the numbers became official, Tinsley's performance at the combine didn't look as bad. His 35.5-inch vertical was respectable, as was his 1.53-second 10-yard split. Both numbers Joey Porter Jr. Affirms First-Round Status At NFL Scouting Combine T H O M A S F R A N K C A R R | T F R A N K . C A R R @ O N 3 . C O M Porter was a consensus All-American after breaking up 11 passes in his final season with the Nittany Lions. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE