Penn State is currently the premier college football program in the state of Pennsylvania. Nobody is denying this of the reigning Big Ten champions.
Penn State only has to replace 1 draft pick from the Big Ten champions
And yes, there’s an explanation.
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
With that said, here is a listing of 2017 NFL draft pick totals for colleges in the Keystone State. The data here has not been manipulated in any way:
- Pitt: five picks
- Temple: three picks
- Villanova: two picks
- Kutztown: one pick
- Bucknell: one pick
- Penn State: one pick
It doesn’t look good for PSU to tie non-FBS schools for fourth in the state, but Penn State’s draft weekend actually points to good things moving forward.
Penn State wasn’t much good for a while until last season. The Nittany Lions were dealing with NCAA-mandated scholarship reductions, and they didn’t return to the full complement of 85 until last year. The Nittany Lions were also a young team last season, with lots of underclassmen among their top contributors.
And now, I mean, Penn State’s going to be really, really good. A Big Ten championship team lost all of one NFL draft pick, along with three undrafted defenders. The Nittany Lions’ lone draft pick was the Buccaneers’ Chris Godwin, a combine warrior receiver who emerged in State College over the past two years.
Look at the players lost to the draft by teams that finished ahead of PSU in the final AP rankings. Alabama lost its usual load, Ohio State’s replacing seven, Clemson’s replacing its best player ever, USC and Washington replace five each, and Oklahoma’s four picks include a Heisman finalist. PSU’s losses are nothing compared to those.
Just about all of the principals will be back. Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley, one of the country’s premier running back-quarterback duos a season ago, will lead the way. On the whole, Penn State will bring back more of its own production than all but about 25 teams in the FBS.
This appears to be a top-flight contender again, no matter how much its state rivals can brag about draft results.
Villanova, an FCS program, had defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon go to the Chiefs in the second round and offensive tackle Brad Seaton to the Titans in the seventh.
Kutztown produced Jordan Morgan, who’s got a cool story and went in the fifth round to the Bears. Bucknell had Texans fourth-round offensive tackle Julie’n Davenport.
Pitt was the big Pennsylvanian winner. That included running back James Conner going to the Steelers, the single most perfect pick of the draft.
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