Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1520787
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 4 3 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M While the members of this year's Penn State draft contingent get ready to compete for roster spots as rookies, their former teammates are gearing up for summer workouts ahead of preseason camp and another college season. Some of those returning players will leave for the NFL after the 2024 slate is complete. And according to numerous way-too-early mock drafts looking ahead to 2025, several could end up going in the first round. Junior defensive end Abdul Carter is the most frequently cited Penn State player among the early predictions. Bleacher Report is highest on the line- backer-turned-edge-rusher, rating him as the No. 8 overall pick of the Wash- ington Commanders. "Carter is another Penn State prospect with linebacker and pass-rusher flexibility," Brent Sobleski writes. "The underclassman may not be quite as explosive as [former Penn State All-American Micah] Parsons, and he's making the opposite position switch — from linebacker to edge rusher — but he's very much in the mold of a playmaker. "In Carter's first two collegiate seasons, he had 16 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles and nine defended passes as an off-ball presence. His ef- fectiveness can ratchet up this fall as a full-time edge defender." At Pro Football Focus, analyst Max Chadwick has Carter going at No. 22 to Atlanta. It's a landing spot USA Today echoes. "Atlanta took a high-quantity approach to their defensive line in the 2024 NFL Draft," Chadwick writes. "In 2025, they could add a dynamic pass rusher like Penn State's Abdul Carter. Carter earned a 90.3 pass-rush grade as an off-ball linebacker, but he will move to the edge this season. Comparisons to Micah Parsons will be plentiful over the next year." Junior safety Kevin Winston Jr. is also garnering attention as a potential first-rounder. He made a team-high 60 tackles a year ago and also had 5 pass breakups. PFF has him going to the Los Angeles Rams at No. 15. "Winston is as sure a tackler as they come, as his 2 percent missed tackle rate ranked second among all college football safeties," Chadwick writes. "He also was the only FBS safety with 85.0-plus grades in coverage and run defense." PFF is on an island here; no other outlet has Winston going in the first round, let alone in the top 20, but that could change by November. Junior defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton is also on the radar screen of some draft observers. To date, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today is the lone media mock drafter to label Dennis-Sutton a first-rounder, listing him as San Francisco's choice with the 32nd pick. But the former five-star prospect boasts outstanding potential heading into his first season as a full-time starter. "At 6-5 and 270 pounds, Dennis-Sutton puts together an impressive set of athletic tools for highly respected 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek to bring along," Middlehurst-Schwartz notes. "He also would give San Francisco someone who could be a long-term fixture opposite Nick Bosa." Perhaps the most surprising name to appear in the first batch of 2025 mock drafts is junior quarterback Drew Allar. Entering Year 2 as Penn State's starter, Allar will be working with a new offensive coordinator in Andy Kotelnicki, so there's plenty of uncertainty about the Lions' offense. Even so, The 33rd Team sees him as a possible Day 1 selection. "Drew Allar had a lot of success in his first full year as a starter at Penn State, throwing 25 touchdowns to just two interceptions," Marcus Mosher writes. "But the Nittany Lions need him to deliver more in big games. If he can do that in 2024, he should be a lock first-round pick." — Greg Pickel Abdul Carter Headlines Penn State's Anticipated 2025 Draft Class PSU teammates Rasheed Walker and Sean Clifford in Green Bay this summer, he'll have a chance to prove those initial im- pressions were correct. Franklin Says: "He brings a unique skill set to the professional level that will allow him to contribute to the defensive and special teams units right away." Smith Says: "I have really enjoyed coaching Kalen these last three seasons. His preparation off the field, watching film and in the weight room, is what has made him the football player he is. Kalen does his job and shuts down his area on the field." Carr Analysis: King's slide into the latter stages of the seventh round con- cludes a brutal crash that started with poor play last fall, accelerated with a ter- rible Senior Bowl, and hit a freefall after he turned in a 4.60-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. However, King's fit within the defense will be interesting. At his best, he posted elite numbers in 2022, ranking near the top of the FBS in forced incompletion percentage when in man coverage. But this past season, he didn't display the same confidence. His speed and testing numbers also suggest he won't be able to stay with the top receivers in the NFL. The Packers might also envision King as a safety, but his fit there is best in a two-high coverage scheme. King must be an ace special teams player first to make the team, but there is a potential spot for him eventually, with former first-round pick Eric Stokes struggling to play with consistency at cornerback. ■ Carter had 16 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in his first two seasons at PSU. He's moving from linebacker to defensive end this year. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL