The first round of the NFL Draft unfolded in Chicago Thursday night and no player from Penn State was drafted by an NFL franchise. There had been some talk suggesting Donovan Smith might go in the first round, but as the night came to a close it was clear Smith and any other Penn State player would have to wait at least one more night. It has now been five straight NFL Drafts without a Penn State player going in the first round of the NFL Draft. It is the longest stretch between first round picks since the NFL-AFL merger and the second longest drought since the earliest days of the NFL Draft.
Jared Odrick was Penn State’s most recent first-round draft pick, with the Miami Dolphins drafting Odrick with the 28th overall pick in the 2010 draft. Penn State has had 12 players drafted since, with three second-round players (Allen Robinson, Devon Still and Stefan Wisniewski) among them. Prior to this most recent stretch between first round picks, Penn State’s longest drought since 1980 was two years (multiple times). The current drought is tied with a stretch from 1963 through 1968 for the longest stretch between first-round picks from Penn State since the start of the NFL Draft. The first NFL Draft was held in 1936, and Penn State’s first player being selected in the first round did not happen until Lenny Moore was taken by the Baltimore Colts in the 1959 draft.
Obviously, a lot has happened at Penn State since Odrick went in the first round in 2010, and that could even play a bit into it as well. NCAA sanctions in 2012 allowed some key players from Penn State to transfer to other programs without having to sit out a season. None of the players that left turned out to be first round talents, but who knows how things could have been different had they stayed. Remember that Bill O’Brien turned Matt McGloin into a quarterback that started in the NFL. What could he have done with Silas Redd or Justin Brown? You never know, and it remains a fun “What if?” topic at the very least. If nothing else, it seems clear the final years of the Joe Paterno era just did not bring in the same high-caliber talent it once could. Sure, there were some good players to come through Happy Valley, a bunch of them. But none since the recruiting class of 2008 were deemed worthy of a first round draft pick.
This seems to be a relatively short-term theme for Penn State. I would not label it a concern or problem, but it is helpful to have the chance to brag about first round draft picks when on the recruiting trail. Just ask programs like Alabama, LSU and Florida State. Already looking ahead to the NFL Draft in 2016, you can see some scouts are very high on Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg, who could be the most likely candidate to end the drought a year from now if he decides to leave for the NFL after his junior season. I fully expect a bit of a rebound year for Hackenberg behind what should be a bit more stable offensive line in front of him. A good season could lead Hackenberg to the NFL, and he could be one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2016 draft class if that is the case. You know Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien will be keeping a watchful eye on his former recruit.
How concerned are you about Penn State’s recent lack of first-round draft selections? Which player do you think ultimately ends that drought, Hackenberg or someone else on the roster?
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