Penn State's Best Available Players on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft

Who will be the next Nittany Lion selected in the draft?

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (33) celebrates after a sack against the Clemson Tigers during the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Olaivavega Ioane extended Penn State's first-round streak at the NFL Draft to three years, becoming the 14th overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens. But Ioane was the only Nittany Lion selected in Thursday's first round. Friday figures to be busier.

Penn State's best available players for Friday's second and third rounds trend toward defense, with a game-changing edge rusher and an NFL-ready safety highlighting the group. Here's who to watch Friday.

Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (33) celebrates a sack against Michigan State in the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium. | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

Dennis-Sutton was one of three 5-star recruits in Penn State's 2022 recruiting class, which takes the spotlight at this draft. He also is the latest in a string of superb edge rushers Penn State developed during the second half of former coach James Franklin's career. The first-rounders include Abdul Carter, Chop Robinson and Odafe Oweh.

Dennis-Sutton's draft grade (6.5) is just a shade below Ioane's, according to Sports Info Solutions, and The Athletic's Dane Brugler listed Dennis-Sutton as the No. 12 edge rusher in the draft class. He lit up the NFL Scouting Combine, compiling an elite Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.96 that ranked 15th among more than 2,000 defensive ends who have tested at the combine since 1987.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. said that Dennis-Sutton could go as high as the mid-second round Friday.

Safety Zakee Wheatley

Penn State Nittany Lions safety Zakee Wheatley dives for the football vs. Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wheatley, a two-year starting safety, earned a solid third-round projection and is Brugler's sixth-ranked player at a strong position. Wheatley will impress teams by playing faster than he tests.

According to Sports Info Solutions, Wheatley led the nation's safeties last year in Total Points Rating in run defense with a grade of 98 (99 is the highest). He was particularly important to Penn State's defense last season after linebacker Tony Rojas' season-ending injury.

Wheatley played in the box 18 percent of the time, a high rate among safeties. He's going to help a defense that needs help stopping the run.

Wheatley is strong in deep coverage and can hold his own against tight ends but will need to get better in man-coverage situations. He'll thrive in an NFL defense that needs a secure free safety who can contribute in the second level of a run defense.

Quarterback Drew Allar?

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar speaks with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks coach Tim Berbenich during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Is there an NFL team out there willing to spend increased capital on Allar in the third round? It's unlikely but not completely discountable. Allar plays the NFL's premium position and routinely is ranked as the No. 4 quarterback of the draft.

He has been talking with multiple teams since the NFL Scouting Combine, where he spent time with the Steelers and later made a top-30 visit. He has multiple options, though one likely closed when the Los Angeles Rams selected Alabama's Ty Simpson in the first round.

Still, Kiper said that "there's a lot to work with there" regarding Allar, who is the No. 6 quarterback on SIS' Big Board. Allar earned his best grades in arm strength and body composition (both 7s) but has a bunch of needs-work categories in footwork and presence under pressure (both 4s) and deep accuracy, pocket awarness and eye discipline (all 5s).

“Drew Allar is an intriguing guy,” Kiper said on a recent conference call. “Late last year, there were some missed throws, the completion percentage in those games [wasn’t great]. End of 2024, 2025 you think, ‘Boy, it's all going to come together,’ and it didn't.” 

Penn State's Day 2 longshots

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Drew Shelton (66) against the Boise State Broncos during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Left tackle Drew Shelton is Penn State's highest-ranked prospect after Allar, and Kiper called him an "under the radar" draft prospect. However, Shelton is more likely to get drafted on Day 3, when he could be the first Nittany Lion off the board.

Likewise, running back Nicholas Singleton is more likely to go in the fourth round or later with fellow back Kaytron Allen.

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