Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1499919
1 2 J U N E / J U L Y 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 Penn State sent six of its former stars to the pros during the 2023 NFL Draft. The Nittany Lions did so despite not having a single first-round selection, which was not expected entering the three-day event April 27-29 in Kansas City, Mo. Now that the 2023 draft is in the books, the nation's pro football prog- nosticators have turned their attention to the 2024 edition. Penn State figures prominently in those way-too-early projections, and the consensus is that the Nittany Li- ons will not suffer another first-round shutout as they did this year when cor- nerback Joey Porter Jr. fell to the Pitts- burgh Steelers with the first pick of the second round. Many of the mock drafts that began appearing in late April have had the Li- ons with not one but two Day 1 selec- tions, and maybe even three. Cornerback Kalen King is coming off a sophomore season in which he led the Big Ten and was third in the nation with 21 passes defended. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE Fashanu, King Seen As Potential First-Rounders In 2024 NFL Draft GREG PICKEL | GREG.PICKEL@ON3.COM Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. had been expected to break a barrier for Penn State in this year's NFL Draft by becoming the first Nit- tany Lion defensive back to be selected in the opening round. That didn't happen. Porter ended up being the first selec- tion on Day 2, going 32nd over- all to the Pittsburgh Steelers. While he was disappointed to be chosen later than expected, Porter still made school his- tory by becoming the earliest defensive back draftee in school history. Joey Porter Jr. Slides But Still Makes PSU History PENN STATE'S HIGHEST-DRAFTED DEFENSIVE BACKS NAME POS. YR. RD. PICK TEAM CAREER Joey Porter Jr. CB 2023 2 32 Pittsburgh Pittsburgh (2023-) Jaquan Brisker S 2022 2 48 Chicago Chicago (2022-) Les Walters DB 1958 4 48 Baltimore Washington (1958) Bryan Scott S 2003 2 55 Atlanta Atlanta (2003-05), New Orleans (2006), Buffalo (2007-12) Kim Herring S 1997 2 58 Baltimore Baltimore (1997-2000), St. Louis (2001-03), Cincinnati (2004-05) Bhawoh Jue S 2001 3 71 Green Bay Green Bay (2001-04), San Diego (2005-06), St. Louis (2007), Arizona (2007) Paul Lankford CB 1982 3 80 Miami Miami (1982-91) Jim Kerr S 1961 7 87 Washington Washington (1961-62) Mark Robinson S 1984 4 90 Kansas City Kansas City (1984-87), Tampa Bay (1988-93) David Macklin CB 2000 3 91 Indianapolis Indianapolis (2000-03), Arizona (2004-06), Washington (2007), Kansas City (2008)