Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still was forced to wait an extra day, and the wait lasted longer than many predicted, but he finally had his named called in the 2012 NFL Draft. Still was selected with the 53rd overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals Friday night.
The 6′-5″ 303-pound defensive end proved to be a tough player to block the last couple of seasons for Penn State, as he earned a number of accolades for his performance on the field. Still was banged up a little bit toward the end of the regular season and Penn State’s bowl game, and the injuries slowed Still down at the NFL Combine, but he still manage to enter this year’s NFL Draft widely considered to be among the best of the defensive tackles in the draft.
Dontari Poe of Memphis was the first defensive tackle drafted in the first round Thursday night, going 11th overall to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Philadelphia Eagles then drafted Mississippi State’s Fletcher Cox to play defensive tackle. LSU’s Michael Brockers was the third defensive tackle drafted in the first round, going 14th overall to the St. Louis Rams. After Brockers the only defensive linemen selected in the first round were from the defensive end position. Seven defensive ends were drafted after Brockers Thursday night.
Still was the 2011 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, as well as a consensus All-Big Ten player. Still was also named to ten All-American lists last fall and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy and Bednarik Award.
Still comes to the NFL with some NFL lineage. His cousins, four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Art Still and and NFL 1990s All-Decade linebacker Levon Kirkland had successful careers in the NFL, raising the expectations and the standard for Still.
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