Penn State's Under-the-Radar Prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft

Penn State hoped to produce a big NFL Draft class in 2026 by moving as many as 10 players into draft contention. The sure picks are still there in first-round guard Olaivavega Ioane, quarterback Drew Allar and the twin running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton.

But to reach at least eight picks, a number James Franklin's teams produced twice, the Nittany Lions will need the back half of their class to get noticed. Here are four under-the-radar Nittany Lions to watch at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.

Defensive tackle Zane Durant

Buckle up.@PennStateFball DT Zane Durant sprinted for a 4.76u

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/IrpOEJnHji
— NFL (@NFL) February 26, 2026

Durant shot himself out of a cannon at the NFL Scouting Combine, running the fourth-fastest 40 time (4.76) among defensive tackles in the event's history. Durant's Relative Athletic Score graded him as elite in speed and explosion, compensating for his "poor" composite size grade.

That's going to hold Durant back from being a Day 2 pick. He's a 6-1, 290-pound tackle who hopes to run the Aaron Donald playbook in the NFL. Dane Brugler of The Athletic graded Durant as the No. 17 overall tackle in the draft class, calling him a fifth- or sixth-rounder.

Durant will get drafted but has the potential to play well above his draft grade. "The team that drafts him will hope to bottle his disruptive flashes," Brugler wrote of Durant.

Offensive tackle Nolan Rucci

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Nolan Rucci (72) blocks against the Boise State Broncos during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Rucci was a one-year, full-time starter at Penn State, though he played well for the Nittany Lions through the 2024 playoff run. Penn State hoped that Rucci would become a right-side anchor last season, allowing Anthony Donkoh to play guard, but the experiment had uneven results.

According to Brugler, Rucci will draw attention from NFL personnel based on his size (6-8, 314), upper-body strength and discipline. He drew just one false-start penalty last year.

However, Rucci has a tendency to be "bullied," according to Brugler, and has a lot of project in him. Brugler ranks Rucci as the No. 22 tackle in the draft class, but Rucci's size and age (23) could get him a late-round look.

Tight end Khalil Dinkins

Franklin liked to make preseason predictons about players the nation didn't know but would by season's end. Last year his fave was Dinkins, a fifth-year senior who proved his bona fides as a blocking tight end and was set to become an offensive threat.

Which really didn't happen. Dinkins remained one of Penn State's best offensive blockers but caught just 14 passes for 169 yards. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Dinkins said he "wasn't able to show everything that I could do" while at Penn State.

He'll look for that opportunity in the NFL. Dinkins could position himself as a Day 3 pick who will enter camp willing to get dirty. As Brugler wrote, Dinkins "has some nasty to him" as a blocking tight end.

But he never had a 50-yard receiving performance in four seasons at Penn State and never caught more than four passes in a game. For that reason, Dinkins is a late-round pick at best. Though as Brugler's 22nd-ranked tight end, he's worth watching as early as the sixth round.

Long snapper Tyler Duzansky

Tyler Duzansky has been named one of three finalists for the @MannellyAward.#WeAre | @DuzanskyTyler pic.twitter.com/3AVJU0L9n5
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) December 2, 2025

Penn State's recent history at long snapper is tremendously underrated. Chris Stoll started four seasons for the Nittany Lions, winning the Patrick Mannelly Award in 2022 as the top long snapper in college football.

Stoll has been Seattle's starting long snapper for three seasons and recently won a Super Bowl ring. The Seahawks kicked five field goals to beat New England in part because of Stoll.

Duzansky followed right behind Stoll, starting at the positon for three seasons and being named a finalist for the Mannelly Award last year. Brugler ranks Duzansky as his No. 1 long snapper in the draft class.

So who drafts long snappers? Just last season, the Patriots used a seventh-round pick on Julian Ashby from Vanderbilt. According to ESPN, he was the first long snapper drafted since 2021.

A key reason was Ashby's athleticism. At 6-3, 230, Duzansky is athletic as well, having played catcher and shortstop for his high school baseball team. For the right franchise, Duzansky just might be the right pick.

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