Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544665
4 0 M A Y 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M No matter what happens, the Steelers' brass felt it was well worth spending a third-round pick on a player with all the physical tools to excel at football's high- est level. "You saw the talent, you saw the abil- ity, you certainly saw the stature and all of those things," quarterbacks coach Tom Arth said. "To see what he's accomplished and how far he's come is really special for me. Now to have the chance to have him here in Pittsburgh and in our quarterback room I think is outstanding." Drew Shelton | OT TEAM Dallas Cowboys ROUND Fourth PICK 112th overall Shelton became the first Penn State of- fensive tackle to be drafted since Olumuy- iwa Fashanu went in the first round to the New York Jets in 2024. He started his final 28 games in blue and white after taking over for the injured Fashanu as a fresh- man in 2022. Shelton went on to play in all 13 games as a sophomore and became a full-time starter the following year. He's a two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten pick and now will head to Dallas in hope of returning the Cowboys to the playoffs after they finished 7-9-1 last season. Dallas views the 6-5, 313-pound Shel- ton as the kind of player who could fit in at either left or right tackle. Brugler described him as an "interesting develop- mental prospect." "Shelton is at his best when he can showcase his athletic traits — his quick feet to match speed off the edge, reach/ pull range in the run game or twitchy body movements to get himself out of com- promised positions," the analyst wrote. "However, he struggles to stay attached at the point of attack and doesn't have the power to move defenders against their will." Shelton was the first offensive player that Dallas took this year. After allowing 377 yards per game to rank 30th in the league in 2025, the Cowboys spent five of their seven picks on defensive talent. Dani Dennis-Sutton | DE TEAM Green Bay Packers ROUND Fourth PICK 120th overall Green Bay landed a Penn State edge rusher last year when it acquired pe- rennial All-Pro Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys in a blockbuster trade. Now, it's got one of Parsons' successors at PSU. Dennis-Sutton made 127 tackles and racked up 23.5 sacks in four seasons with the Lions. He also forced 7 fumbles and had 2 interceptions. In addition to his edge-rushing prowess, he was a special teams standout, blocking 3 punts in 2025 to tie a Penn State single-season record. The 6-6, 256-pound Dennis-Sutton had been hailed by analysts as a likely sec- ond- or third-rounder, so his slide into the middle of the fourth round caught many observers by surprise, including a few people in the Packers' front office. "For as productive as he was as a player in college, and his ability — and he still has upside to go with it — yes, we were absolutely surprised," said John Wojciechowski, the Packers' director of pro personnel. Dennis-Sutton said having to wait to hear his name called "leaves a chip on my shoulder." "Obviously, we all want to go pretty high, but I didn't," he said. "But now I'm a Green Bay Packer, so I'm excited to get to work." Whatever the reason for his slide, he has an admirer in the Packers' locker room. Shortly after the pick was an- nounced, Parsons posted on Instagram, "Welcome to the tundra!!" Zakee Wheatley | S TEAM Carolina Panthers ROUND Fifth PICK 151st overall Wheatley is the third Penn State safety to be selected in the past two drafts, fol- lowing in the footsteps of Kevin Winston Dani Dennis-Sutton is headed to Green Bay, where he will team up with another Penn State edge rusher, Micah Parsons, on the Packers' defensive line. PHOTO COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS