Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544665
M A Y 2 0 2 6 41 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Jr. and Jaylen Reed, who last year went in Rounds 3 and 6, respectively. The 6-3, 203-pound Wheatley started 28 games for Penn State the past two sea- sons. He led the team with 3 intercep- tions in 2024 while making 96 tackles and adding 4 pass breakups. He took home honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a senior after making 74 stops and snaring 1 interception. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com noted that Wheatley helped himself with his perfor- mance at Penn State in 2025. The analyst had him pegged as a likely Day 2 selection, so the Panthers may have gotten a steal when he was still on the board early in the fifth round. "He played with better decisiveness and route recognition from man and zone looks in 2025," Zierlein wrote. "He's rangy with the ability to play over the top or close quickly to limit run-after-catch. Physicality near the line is average, but he competes and stays in the fight. His tackle radius is wide, but he needs cleaner pursuit angles and better play strength to limit missed tackles." Nicholas Singleton | RB TEAM Tennessee Titans ROUND Fifth PICK 165th overall There was some question as to which member of Penn State's running back tandem would be drafted first, Singleton or classmate Kaytron Allen. Allen had a much better senior season than Singleton, taking over as starter at midseason and finishing with 1,303 yards to Singleton's 549. However, the Titans liked Singleton's breakaway potential and selected the 6-0, 219-pounder with the 25th pick in the fifth round. They're getting a player who set school records with 55 total touch- downs, 45 rushing touchdowns and 5,586 all-purpose yards. Singleton, who ranks fourth in school history with 3,461 career rushing yards, is set to join a Titans team that finished 30th in the league last year with an average of 93.5 yards per game on the ground. However, it was not immediately clear following the draft when he will be ready to take the field. Singleton has been re- covering from a broken foot that he suf- fered during Senior Bowl practice in January. The injury caused him to miss workouts at both the NFL Combine and Penn State's Pro Day. Zane Durant | DT TEAM Buffalo Bills ROUND Fifth PICK 181st overall Durant became the first Penn State defensive tackle to be chosen since Rob- ert Windsor went to Indianapolis in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. The 6-1, 290-pounder made a strong impression at the NFL Scouting Combine in Febru- ary when he ran a 4.76-second 40-yard dash, fastest of all the defensive tackles at the event. As is often the case at his position, Du- rant didn't rack up big numbers during his college career. In 54 games, he made 89 stops, including 22 for loss and 10 sacks. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten notice twice while starting 39 games. Zierlein lauded Durant's athleticism, describing him as a "twitchy 3-tech- nique with rare short-area quickness." The analyst also noted that Durant can be disruptive at the NFL level in slanting or twisting schemes that make good use of his lateral speed. However, Zierlein also highlighted some of the concerns that pushed Durant to the final pick of the fifth round. "His small frame and short arms make him a sitting duck as a static defender," he wrote. "His rush moves need to be sharp- ened and refined to give him the best chance of becoming a rotational, sub- package 3-technique in a gaming front." Kaytron Allen | RB TEAM Washington Commanders ROUND Sixth PICK 187th overall Last November, Allen broke Evan Royster's career rushing record at Penn State, finishing his four-year tenure in State College with 4,180 yards to Roys- ter's 3,932. On Day 3 of the 2026 draft, Allen was chosen by the same franchise, and in the same round, as his record-setting prede- cessor. Royster went to Washington in the sixth round of the 2011 draft and ended up playing three seasons with the team before injuries hastened the end of his career. Allen will be looking to stick around a bit longer, and he's shown the durability necessary to endure the rigors of the NFL. The 5-11, 218-pounder carried 769 times during his college career and never missed a game due to injury. Allen enjoyed his best season at Penn State as a senior. He rushed for 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns, topping his totals from 2024 despite playing in four fewer games. Brugler noted that Allen "isn't an ath- letic freak like Singleton, but he has a bet- ter feel for the position and maximizes carries with his vision, physicality and body control. With his run instincts and blocking skills, he projects as a durable backup or low-end starter in the NFL." ■ Seven Penn Staters Ink Free Agent Contracts Two days after drafting guard Olaivavega Ioane with the 14th overall pick, the Baltimore Ravens signed one of the players who started alongside him the past two seasons, ink- ing center Nick Dawkins to a free agent contract. The Ravens are seeking a new center after allowing three- time Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum to leave for Las Vegas via free agency. Six other Nittany Lions signed free agent deals in the hours after the draft concluded. Linebacker Dominic DeLuca joined Dawkins and Ioane with the Ravens, while receivers Trebor Peña and Devonte Ross were picked up by Jacksonville and the Los Angeles Chargers, respectively. In addition, tight end Khalil Dinkins landed with San Francisco, offensive tackle No- lan Rucci with Indianapolis and long snapper Tyler Duzansky with Las Vegas. — Matt Herb NICK DAWKINS