Countless Penn State Football alumni have heard their names called at the NFL Draft over the years, and 40 Nittany Lions have been selected in the first round since the draft began in 1936. The trend continued during the 2025 draft, as two Penn Staters were taken in the first 15 picks and five total players were drafted.
Edge rusher Abdul Carter was the first Nittany Lion selected, going third to the New York Giants.
Carter, the 6’3” Philadelphia native, was once in contention to be the number one pick in this draft as a generational athlete with unreal quickness and footwork. The 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year led the FBS with 23.5 tackles for loss and was seventh in sacks with 12.
Carter’s list of accolades includes three All-Big Ten teams, a First Team AP All-American nod and the 2024 Lombardi (nation’s top offensive/defensive lineman) and Ted Hendricks (nation’s top defensive end) awards.
“As a Cowboys fan, seeing [Carter] twice this year is very scary, and the Giants’ defensive line is looking like it could be one of the best units in the league coming into next season,” sophomore Ryan Pencek said.
The second Penn Stater off the board was tight end Tyler Warren, who the Indianapolis Colts selected with the 14th pick. Warren spent five years at Penn State. He redshirted his freshman season, was a backup for two years, and then broke out in his junior and senior seasons.
Not only did Warren win the national and Big Ten Tight End of the Year awards, he was also a finalist for the Paul Hornung (nation’s most versatile player) Award. He also tied for second in the FBS in receptions and finished seventh in voting for the Heisman Trophy, the highest that a tight end has finished since 1977.
Despite being named the best tight end in college football and in the Big Ten, a fellow Big Ten tight end, Michigan’s Colston Loveland, was taken a few picks before him by the Bears. Many were shocked at this, but Warren now has the chance to make the Bears and every other team that passed on him regret their choice.
“I thought it was pretty unanimous that Tyler Warren should have been the first tight end off of the board, but if I were a Colts fan, I’d be very excited to have him on my team,” Pencek said.
Safeties Kevin Winston Jr. and Jaylen Reed were the next two Nittany Lions selected, taken with picks 82 and 187 to the Titans and Texans.
Kevin Winston Jr. came to Penn State as a promising four-star recruit, and reflected the rating early in his career. However, Winston Jr. only played in three games this past season due to a knee injury. At 6’2” and 215 pounds, his ideal positional size and tackling efficiency have kept him on the radars of NFL scouts despite the injury.
Freshman Ethan Prenatt echoed this sentiment. “Even with his injuries over the years, I think he can still develop into a great safety, and size-wise, he looks like a top NFL prospect,” Prenatt said.
In the 2024-25 season, Reed stepped into the position that Winston Jr. left open. Reed led the Nittany Lions in tackles, racking up 98. He also totaled three interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, helping him earn All-Big Ten Second-Team honors.
Kobe King, the former Penn State linebacker, was the last Nittany Lion drafted, going 201st overall to the Minnesota Vikings. He had similar production to Reed, with just one less tackle and another All-Big Ten Second Team. King’s twin brother, Kalen, played cornerback at Penn State and was drafted in the seventh round in 2024.
Pencek commented on the potential that King has to be a solid player in the league one day.
“Because he was a late-round pick, we’ll see if he gets on the field immediately, but I think he eventually will be a very good defensive player for whatever team he is on,” Pencek said.
In addition to draft picks, the Nittany Lions have had five players signed as undrafted free agents (UDFAs). Cornerback Jalen Kimber went to the Titans, defensive lineman Coziah Izzard to the Chiefs, wide receiver Julian Fleming to the Packers, defensive lineman Dvon J-Thomas to the Buccaneers and offensive lineman Sal Wormley to the Jaguars.
There is an immense amount of potential in this group of Nittany Lions, and as they adjust to professional football, Penn State fans are excited to see how they develop into their respective roles.
