Are we still some 10 months away from the 2026 NFL Draft? Yes. Does that mean there won’t be mock drafts flowing in from national experts ad nauseam almost every day until then? No.
For that reason, we present to you the latest in Penn State’s 2026 draft projection, courtesy of Matt Miller and ESPN on Monday. And it includes a few surprises.
Miller projected two Nittany Lions going in the first round: quarterback Drew Allar and cornerback A.J. Harris. Allar landed with the Los Angeles Rams with the No. 27 pick, while Harris went to the Washington Commanders at No. 25.
Allar is the most conceivable Lion to hit the first round next April, almost regardless of his performance. He boasts some elite-level tools NFL teams look for in QBs. Though he has yet to put them all together in a full season, some team is almost guaranteed to fall in love with what he could be at the next level. And if he performs well in 2025? He very well could be the first quarterback — or player overall — to go off the board.
That’s why it’s a bit surprising to see Miller project three quarterbacks (and a different Lion) hearing their names called before Allar. The ESPN writer sees Clemson’s Cade Klubnik (First to the Cleveland Browns), LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (11th to the Indianapolis Colts) and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers (16th to the Pittsburgh Steelers) all flying off the board early.
Harris, meanwhile, has become a staple in Penn State’s secondary after transferring in from Georgia. People in the building see him as a first-round talent, but the exterior buzz had been a little quiet. Miller clearly has bought into the hype, having Harris as the third corner in the first round, following Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy (15th to the Miami Dolphins) and Clemson’s Avieon Terrell (24th to the Cincinnati Bengals).
As for other Penn State-related surprises, Miller has seven pass rushers earning first-round selections, and none of them are Dani Dennis-Sutton. Sure, Dennis-Sutton lived in Abdul Carter’s shadow this past season, but he’s more than capable of first-round status if he stays healthy in 2025.
Finally, Miller has just one running back landing in the first: Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love. It’s a bit more up for debate whether Nick Singleton rivals Love as far as NFL circles go, but some Penn State fans would probably have beef with that choice.
This is all just long-range guessing. No college players have put on a uniform or displayed their talent on film in 2025 yet. Miller reminds readers as much in his open to the story.
But with Penn State profiling as one of the nation’s top teams, with a bevy of seniors set to lead the way, it’ll be entertaining to follow their draft stock down the stretch.
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