Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1519242
3 6 M A Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M ADISA ISAAC DE | 6-4 | 253 Projection: Second-/Third-Round Pick While Chop Robinson may have sto- len the headlines at the NFL Combine, his fellow Penn State defensive end Isaac had a pretty good showing him- self, finishing 10th overall as an edge rusher with a 74 athleticism score from NFL Next Gen Stats. In some ways, the players' experience in Indianapolis called to mind their careers with the Nittany Lions. While Robinson earned much of the attention nationally from scouts, it was Isaac who led the team in both tackles for loss (16.5) and sacks (7.5) this past season. A native of Brookyn, N.Y., Isaac made an immediate impact when he arrived at Penn State in 2019, playing in 11 games as a backup that season. His snaps in- creased in 2020, but it was the 2021 sea- son that was supposed to be his break- out year until he tore his Achilles tendon that June and was forced to miss the entire season. Isaac returned in 2022 and had an excellent season, leading the team in tackles for loss (11) before improving on that number during his senior season. He finished his Penn State career with 92 total tackles, including 31.5 for loss and 14.5 sacks. As of early April, most draft experts were projecting Isaac to be selected in the later stages of the second round. "One of the big winners of Senior Bowl week, Isaac showed pass-rush- ing traits (quickness, flexibility, and strength) that project to starter level in the pros, despite being undersized at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds," wrote ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller. Regardless of where he goes, there's no questioning the impact Isaac has made both on and off the field. "He's an impressive, impressive young man. His family situation, how his mom has raised him, his broth- ers and sisters, he's just a phenomenal young man," Penn State head coach James Franklin said. "I've got no problem pounding the ta- ble with NFL teams for Adisa. … That's our goal and our objective — to develop these guys as football players, but also to develop them as young men that yo u 're c o m fo r ta b l e putting your name on them whether it's in football or outside of foot- ball." — Ryan Snyder THEO JOHNSON TE | 6-6 | 261 Projection: Second-/Third-Round Pick You won't find many players who helped their stock more than Johnson at this year's NFL Combine. While he did have career-highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns this past season at Penn State, he still split much of his time with then-junior Tyler Warren, limiting his overall impact compared to some others in this class. But once Johnson got the opportunity to show what he could do at the com- bine, he took full advantage, turning in impressive testing numbers includ- ing a 4.57-second 40-yard dash and a 39.5-inch vertical jump. Remember, he weighs 261 pounds. It's all but assured that Georgia's Brock Bowers will be the first tight end taken this year, but following his com- bine performance, as well as a strong showing at the Senior Bowl, Johnson could very well end up being the second. "You look at the traits, and you see a good-looking athlete with size who's smooth in his routes, smooth at the catch point, has acceleration to get down the seam and run away from cov- erage," said The Athletic's Dane Brugler in an interview with PennLive. "He has a decent catch radius, catches the ball well in stride, has no problem climbing the ladder and can adjust to inaccurate passes." Johnson came to Penn State as a highly recruited prospect, earning a consensus four-star rating at each of the major sites. Hailing from Windsor, Ontario, Johnson chose the Nittany Li- ons over Georgia, Iowa and Michigan at the time and went on to have a solid ca- reer at Penn State. However, with play- ers like Brenton Strange and Warren also deserving playing time, he never fully grasped the spotlight when compared to such predecessors as Pat Freiermuth and Mike Gesicki, both of whom are now in the NFL. But that doesn't mean he won't be able to do that at the next level if he ends up with the right team. "Johnson's explosive tools make him an alluring option as a pass-catching tight end with the speed and quickness to attack the seams," NFL.com draft analyst Bucky Brooks wrote. "Though his production at Penn State didn't jump off the page, he could become a playmaker at the next level." — Ryan Snyder Measurements ARMS 33 ⅞ INCHES HANDS 9 ⅝ INCHES 40 4.74 SECONDS BENCH 20 REPS VERTICAL 34 ½ INCHES BROAD 10 FEET, 3 INCHES 3-CONE — 20-YARD SHUTTLE 4.27 SECONDS Measurements ARMS 33 INCHES HANDS 10 ¼ INCHES 40 4.57 SECONDS BENCH 19 REPS VERTICAL 39 ½ INCHES BROAD 10 FEET, 5 INCHES 3-CONE 7.15 SECONDS 20-YARD SHUTTLE 4.19 SECONDS