Ranking Penn State's Most NFL-Ready Draft Prospects

Former Penn State coach James Franklin began the 2025 season championing the NFL talent on his roster. Indeed, Penn State opened the year with potentially the most prolific NFL Draft class in program history.

Though the season didn't pan out, and Franklin will watch from Virginia Tech as his former players get drafted, the Nittany Lions still have a sizable draft class. The potential for multiple first-round picks no longer exists, but Penn State could have as many as eight players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.

But where the Nittany Lions get drafted isn't an indication of NFL-readiness. Here's a look at the Penn State players best prepared to make an NFL lineup next season.

Offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Vega Ioane runs a drill during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Penn State's lone first-round prospect is a starting NFL guard right now. He's a consensus top-20 pick, meaning he still has multiple destinations to consider before the draft. However, Ioane should be starting for an NFL offense in September.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr, has ranked Ioane (6-4, 320 pounds) as the No. 1 interior lineman in the draft. The Athletic's Dane Brugler does as well, projecting Ioane as a long-term NFL starter in his "The Beast" NFL draft guide. It's easy to see why.

Ioane was a two-year anchor of Penn State's line, its best interior player whose utulity was evident weekly. Former coordinator Andy Kotelnicki motioned Ioane in multiple formations, deploying his huge frame as a moving target.

Yet as Brugler noted, Ioane is a "mauler" who "puts defenders on skates." His multi-year NFL career begins this fall.

Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive lineman Dani Dennis-Sutton runs a drills during the NFL Scouting Combine. — Penn State Nittany Lions defensive lineman Dani Dennis-Sutton runs a drills during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Dennis-Sutton followed his impressive performance in the Pinstripe Bowl with an athletic show at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he delivered one of the highest-percentile testing days among edge rushers.

NFL personnel swooned at not only those combine scores but also his explosive first move and determined approach. He'll need to refine his repertoire, as Dennis-Sutton can get run out of a pocket pretty easily. But Brugler called Dennis-Sutton a "commanding presence," and the defensive end should be in a lineup this fall.

Safety Zakee Wheatley

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive back Zakee Wheatley runs a drill during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Wheatley will follow Jaquan Brisker and Ji'Ayir Brown, Penn State's recent draft picks at safety who have carved NFL roles. Wheatley could be the best of the group.

He's the fifth-ranked safety, according to Brugler, in a strong positional draft headlined by Ohio State's Caleb Downs and Oregon's Dillon Thieneman. A projected third-round pick, Wheatley has a dynamic combination of skills to become a Day 1 starter.

Wheatley (six career interceptions) routinely found the ball at Penn State while playing a primary role in run defense. After linebacker Tony Rojas' 2025 injury, Wheatley moved into a run-stopping role more often. In the right defense, Wheatley will play immediately.

Running back Kaytron Allen

Penn State's all-time leading rusher ended his college career by averaging 189 yards rushing over his last three games, including a 226-yard performance in his finale vs. Rutgers. He's healthy, having sustained no serious college injuries, and has plenty of tread, having shared the position with Nicholas Singleton for four years. He's ready to become a lead back.

But because of some limitations (a lack of moves and top-end speed), Allen will be around early on Day 3. Which means a team that needs a back will get a healthy potential starter on a rookie deal. That's good value.

Running back Nicholas Singleton

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nick Singleton catches a pass at a Senior Bowl practice. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

After a frustrating senior season in which he didn't reach 90 yards rushing in a game, Singleton hoped for a refresh at the Senior Bowl and combine. However, Singleton didn't get a combine (or a Pro Day) because of an injury he sustained at the Senior Bowl.

Singleton was probably the best athlete on Penn State's roster, a speedster with superb upper-body strength. He did 25 bench-press reps at Pro Day, proving that he hasn't skipped workouts during his rehab.

Singleton has a lot to prove, though, especially on the field. As Brugler said, Singleton runs with "tunnel vision" and often seemed more determined to run through defenders than around them. He's not as NFL-ready as Allen but could carve a role next season, beginning on special teams.

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

Duzansky is Brugler's top-ranked long snapper in the draft class, which doesn't mean he'll get drafted. But like his predecessor, Super Bowl champ Chris Stoll, Duzansky is long-term starter at the position who could win a role quickly in camp this fall.

In fact, Duzansky is one Penn State's under-the-radar draft prospects who might get a call late on Day 3.

Quarterback Drew Allar

From the outside at least, Allar was a firmer draft prospect in 2025. But he didn't think so, returning for a senior season that lasted six games. Now, Allar is trying to fulfill a promise that almost haunts him at this point.

Allar is the No. 4 quarterback in the draft class, according to Brugler, who's still warm to his best traits: arm strength, velocity, pocket sense. But Allar has "messy" footwork, Brugler wrote, "streaky" ball placement and a decision-making process best described as inconsistent.

Allar still could go as high as the second round; some mocks have the Los Angeles Rams spending a pick on his potential. But potential is the reason one team will draft Allar.

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