Blue White Illustrated

in the Colts' camp a?er being signed as a free agent. He joins a defense that uses multiple fronts, which means it's likely Sickels will be listed as an outside line- backer. He was used primarily as a de- fensive end at Penn State, but there were instances in which he lined up in a two- point stance. That versatility could help him vie for a roster spot in Indianapolis. The Colts entered the dra? with seven OLBs on their roster but they lacked a pure pass rusher. Putting pressure on the quarterback is clearly Sickels' spe- cialty, and with their third-round pick, the Colts also added Ohio's Tarell Basham. In 2016 Basham was named Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year a?er totaling 71 pres- sures, the nation's =?h-highest total. The Colts signed another defensive end as an undra?ed free agent in Jhaustin Thomas of Iowa State, but with his size (6-foot-6, 275 pounds), he appears bet- ter suited to a DE position in the Colts' scheme. Given their personnel break- down, Sickels looks to have an opportu- nity as an edge rusher if he's able to transition his game to the pros. TYLER YAZUJIAN DETROIT LIONS OUTLOOK As of this writing, Yazujian was the only Penn State grad asked to try out with his NFL team before signing a contract. If he's able to make the squad, he'll join former Nittany Lion defensive linemen Anthony Zettel and Jordan Hill. But for Yazujian, who didn't take up long snapping until he got to college, it won't One of the consequences of Penn State's relative youth last year was that it had only one player taken in the 2017 NFL Dra?. That's not likely to be the case again in 2018. The Nittany Lions have at least a dozen potential dra?ees, and there's a very strong possibility that two or even three Penn State players will be taken in the =rst round. Here's a breakdown: MARCUS ALLEN The senior free safety will =nish his career as a four-year starter, a rarety at Penn State. At 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, he has the size and aggressive instincts that NFL teams are looking for. He would likely have been dra?ed had he come out a?er his junior season but elected to stay at Penn State for one more year. CBS- Sports.com has him listed as the No. 4 free safety prospect in the 2018 dra?, and Bleacher Report lists him as the 15th-best prospect among all players. SAQUON BARKLEY Barkley has two more seasons of eligibility remaining, but you would have a hard time =nding anyone who expects him to still be wear- ing the blue and white in 2018. The vari- ous mock dra?s that have been released in the past month have mostly had him in the top 10, with Bleacher Report rank- ing him No. 3 overall behind quarter- backs Josh Allen of Wyoming and Sam Darnold of Southern California. No matter which prediction you believe, it's probable that he will become the =rst Penn State running back to be selected in the =rst round since Larry Johnson in 2003. SAEED BLACKNALL With only 34 catches in his =rst three seasons, the senior wideout probably isn't on any- body's radar screen right now. But he showed his big-play potential in the Big Ten Championship Game last year, and a strong senior season, coupled with his excellent size (6-3, 212) and speed (4.3 seconds in the 40) could propel him into the dra?. JASON CABINDA A?er Allen, Cabinda is probably the most dra?-worthy sen- ior on Penn State's defensive roster. He's a rugged, durable middle linebacker who has started 23 games in his =rst three seasons at Penn State. Ranked eighth among inside linebackers by CBS- Sports.com, he should hear his name called by someone on day two or three. CHRISTIAN CAMPBELL He's only started three games in his =rst three sea- sons, but don't sleep on Campbell. At 6- 1, 191 pounds, he has good size, and he'll likely have a chance to play extensively this year with John Reid injured. CURTIS COTHRAN Cothran has been adding weight since moving to defensive tackle from defensive end. He's up to 293 a?er weighing 235 when he signed with PSU in 2013. He's going to have to con- tinue bulking up to have a shot at be- coming the seventh Penn State DT to be dra?ed since 2010. PARKER COTHREN At 302 pounds, Cothren is a bit bigger than his fellow defensive tackle Cothran. Stationed at the one-technique spot, he =gures to have a shot, but his dra? prospects will likely depend on how he fares as a senior and at pro day next March. TYLER DAVIS Davis has hit 30 of 32 =eld goal attempts in his two seasons as a starter, but NFL teams don't like spending dra? picks on kickers, as evi- denced by this year's dra?, in which there were only three kickers among the 253 players taken. Davis's accuracy is undeniable, but his range hasn't been tested much. He's only attempted seven kicks of 40 or more yards, hitting =ve. He's never attempted a kick of 50 or more yards. MIKE GESICKI The senior tight end thrived in Joe Moorhead's o>ense last fall, catching 48 passes for 679 yards, the most by a tight end in school history. Assuming he continues to excel, he'll have a real chance to join Barkley in the FOOTBALL Penn State's 2018 draft class could be bountiful ALLEN |

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