Penn State 2023 NFL Prospects

When you think of Penn State, one of the first associations is football. Penn State Football is an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision that represents Penn State University in the Big Ten Conference. 

Penn State Football has been known to have many players drafted into the National Football League with currently 44 alums on the NFL roster. 

This year, PSU has 13 players prepared to enter the 2023 NFL Draft. The players are: Joey Porter Jr., Ji’Ayir Brown, Brenton Strange, Parker Washington, Sean Clifford, PJ Mustipher, Juice Scruggs, Jonathan Sutherland, Nick Tarburton, Jake Pinegar, Mitchell Tinsley, Barney Armor, and Chris Stoll. 

With the 2023 NFL Draft approaching, the Nittany Lion prospects have been evaluated by multiple sources for their placement. A way people judge their skills is through a series of tests at the NFL Combine and Penn State Pro Day.  

The NFL Scouting Combine occurred from Feb. 28 to Mar. 6 where college football players that are entering the NFL Draft will perform a series of mental and physical tests in front of NFL coaches, scouts, and general managers. It is broken into players’ positions as their performance can affect their draft status and salary. 

Tight end Brenton Strange was one of the few in his position to participate in every test in the Combine ranking T-2nd among TEs in 10-yard splits and  T-1st among TEs in the bench press. Wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley finished 5th among WRs in the 20-yard shuttle. 

Wide Receiver Parker Washington is in the same position however only performed in the bench press due to injury. Washington finished T-7th among WRs as Tinsley was placed at T-10th among WRs. 

Bench Press seemed to go well for the Nittany Lions as cornerback Joey Porter Jr. placed T-2nd among CB in his position. 

Penn State NFL Pro Day occurred this past Friday, Mar. 24 as it is a day dedicated to inviting NFL coaches, scouts, and general managers to watch the 13 Penn State prospects headed into the 2023 NFL Draft. It is a day to showcase their athleticism and to build relationships with the 32 NFL teams to increase their chances for an early draft decision into their organization. 

Highlights of Penn State Pro Day consisted of Quarterback Sean Clifford performing a 40-yard dash while WR Mitchell Tinsley and TE Brenton Strange served impressive routing routes. 

VALLEY wishes good luck to our Penn State players entering the 2023 NFL Draft which starts on Thursday, Apr. 27. Let us know your predictions on which NFL teams will be drafting Penn State players in 2023 by tagging @VALLEYMag on Instagram and Twitter!