Penn State’s defense is flush with playmakers at some important spots.

Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac are proven disruptors off the edge, and second-year end Dani Dennis-Sutton should take a big step forward in the fall.

Kalen King, who led the Nittany Lions in pass breakups (18), leads a deep cornerback room.

PSU’s safety depth chart includes a number of athletic players who can roam the deep middle or crowd the box.

But it will be a different-looking defense without top talents Joey Porter Jr. and Ji’Ayir Brown, two former Lions prepping for the upcoming NFL Draft.

It says quite a bit about this defense, and its coordinator, that Penn State could be better in 2023 despite not having its top corner (Porter) and safety (Brown) from 2022.

And Manny Diaz, now in his second year of running the Lions’ defense, is a man who loves to tinker in the spring.

How will the Lions replace Brown?

“That’s what you find out during spring, and really, training camp,” Diaz said earlier this week. “This time last year, we would not have known that ‘Tig’ (Brown) had the sort of flexible super powers that he showed in our third-down package.

“One of the fun things you get to do this year is, you put different guys in different positions, sometimes it’s forced. You know, you might have a guy out for a day so, ‘hey, why don’t you try to play this position?’ And now that Tig’s done it, the guys love it. They can see it.”

Brown led Penn State in tackles (74) and interceptions (four). Diaz freed up the veteran defensive back to use all of his skills, using him in coverage, run support and as a blitzer.

Keaton Ellis is a returning starter at safety, and Zakee Wheatley, Jaylen Reed and Kevin Winston should all see plenty of work.

King will be joined by returning nickel corner Daequan Hardy, veteran Johnny Dixon and North Carolina transfer Storm Duck. Diaz is also excited to see what Cam Miller can do in his second year.

But King is the corner who will inherit Porter’s role as the leader of the pack.

“Johnny Dixon (is) continuing to get better and better,” Diaz said. “Daequan Hardy is having a heckuva spring. Cam Miller’s coming, the young guys are really getting better and getting in there.

“You just can’t be comfortable because it’s the nature of that position. What happened a year ago really doesn’t matter, so I think Kalen’s taken that to heart.

“You watch him, his competitive edge hasn’t dropped off from where it was a year ago, and we need that. … We lost a heckuva player (Porter), and we need (King) to embrace having that target on him this year.”

You can’t talk Penn State defense without mentioning the linebacker group.

Veteran Curtis Jacobs is one of the most athletic players at his position in the Big Ten, and Tyler Elsdon and Kobe King are back after forming an effective platoon in the middle last year.

But the Lions don’t have another linebacker quite like sophomore Abdul Carter, a second-team All-Big Ten choice who produced 10 1/2 tackles for loss (6 1/2 sacks), five quarterback hurries, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles in 2022.

“He can get a lot better,” Diaz said of Carter. “It’s sometimes just, you can be a better player making the plays people don’t notice, by just being where you’re supposed to be for someone else to make a play.”

The 6-foot-3 Carter has added roughly 15 pounds to his frame. Penn State lists him at 249.

“Abdul wants to be great, and most great players, they know that they have to improve,” Diaz said. “Most great players are obsessed with improvement, moreso than the fact that yes, they flashed and made plays. Abdul, obviously, can make a play. He can flash and make a play.

“But in terms of down after down, being where he’s supposed to be and understanding the ins and outs of the defense and also being able to play multiple positions, Abdul will be the first to tell you (that) he has a lot of room to grow.”

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