Penn State heads to Wisconsin for a big matchup Saturday, but having knocked out half the regular season, it’s worth checking in on some of the top Nittany Lions’ futures.

That vaunted class of 2022 recruiting class — containing the likes of Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, Abdul Carter, Dani Dennis-Sutton and Kevin Winston Jr. — will be draft-eligible for the first time. And then there’s the other NFL Draft headliner, Tyler Warren (a newly minted candidate for one of the nation’s top receiving awards).

Warren, though, has surprisingly been snubbed from most of the available midseason mock drafts, despite widely being ranked among the top tight end prospects on the board. Carter is by far the most popular and frequent first-round selection.

The Lions, 6-0 and ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll, have been well-represented in national 2025 mock drafts. Overall, Penn State has had great recent success in the NFL Draft. Six Nittany Lions have been drafted in the first round since 2018 with 57 players in total drafted during the James.

In program history, 416 Nittany Lions have been drafted. A good number of this year’s stars will join that list soon enough, and here’s where some national experts project them going.

Note: The mock drafts cited for this story mostly extend through only the first round and as far as the third round. You can find them here: PFF, CBS (Josh Edwards), Sports Illustrated, ESPN, 33rd Team, Tankathon, Draft Network.

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EDGE/DE/LB Abdul Carter — Junior

Carter was already an elite talent in his first two seasons at Penn State, but he’s burst onto the scene this season after switching to defensive end — a move made in part with eyes toward the NFL Draft. He leads Penn State with four sacks as well as 9.5 tackles for loss.

Penn State has been particularly successful at churning out pass rushers recently, with Chop Robinson (first round, 21st overall) and Adisa Isaac (third round, 93rd overall) both going in the 2024 draft. Arnold Ebiketie (second round 2022), Odafe Oweh (first round 2021) and Micah Parsons (first round 2021) were also highlights.

PFF: 13th overall to New Orleans Saints

CBS: 17th overall to Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sports Illustrated: 13th overall to Arizona Cardinals

ESPN: 3rd overall to Carolina Panthers

33rd Team: 2nd overall to Carolina Panthers

Tankathon: 17th overall to Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Draft Network: 10th overall to New York Jets

QB Drew Allar — Junior

Allar is going to be a polarizing prospect once draft season rolls around. He’s got all the measurables and arm talent a team could want, but the on-field results have been good, not great, through 1.5 seasons as Penn State’s starter. He protects the ball but hasn’t slung it for big yardage often. A strong game at USC, despite three interceptions, could help in starting to change that narrative.

Penn State’s last drafted quarterback was Sean Clifford in the fifth round to the Green Bay Packers in 2023. The highest drafted Nittany Lion quarterback ever was Richie Lucas, fourth overall to the Washington Redskins in 1960. Kerry Collins and Todd Blackledge were the only others to be selected in the first round.

33rd Team: 9th overall to New York Giants

Tankathon: 40th overall (second round) to New York Giants

TE Tyler Warren — Senior

Warren is a beast, plain and simple. But he may be someone who has to boost his stock with strong testing at the NFL Combine. After a crazy, record-setting day at USC, he should continue to rise up draft boards.

Tankathon: 73rd overall (third round) to New Orleans Saints

DB Kevin Winston Jr. — Junior

Winston was easy to project into the first or second rounds this preseason, but a “long-term” injury sustained against Bowling Green (which may be a season-ender) has changed things some. Still, teams are going to like him if he declares for the draft. Franklin called Winston “beautiful” physically this preseason.

Tankathon: 41st overall (second round) to New York Jets

Draft Network: 22nd overall to Tampa Bay Buccaneers

RB Nicholas Singleton — Junior

The star Penn State running back, if he leaves, will very likely cash in on a draft choice. It just depends on how early, and there could be varying projections because of the volatility of the position. Still, it helps that he’s returned to his freshman form some with long runs this season.

33rd Team: 40th overall to Las Vegas Raiders

Tankathon: 85th overall to Indianapolis Colts

DT Zane Durant — Junior

33rd Team: 45th overall to Arizona Cardinals

DB Jaylen Reed — Senior

33rd Team: 50th overall to Jacksonville Jaguars

EDGE/DE Dani Dennis-Sutton — Junior

Dennis-Sutton is another player with all the measurables in the world. The numbers this season are misleading, though, as he has two sacks and four tackles for loss. If he leaves and gets drafted, he and Carter would be the first pair of PSU defensive ends drafted in the same year since… well… last year.

Tankathon: 84th overall to New England Patriots

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