Where will former Nittany Lions go in the 2022 NFL Draft? Here's a final look at projections

The draft is set to begin this week and final mock drafts are getting published. There are three Nittany Lions who seem set to go in the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft, and potentially all three could go in the first two rounds.

Let’s take a final look at where Penn State players are being projected to go in the draft.

WR Jahan Dotson

No. 25 to the Buffalo Bills

Dotson is routinely projected in the latter half of the first round, which would likely land him with one of the best teams in the NFL. This projection would allow him to go to a team that loves to sling the ball around and already has elite options at both quarterback and wide receiver.

Josh Allen has one of the strongest arms in the NFL and can make every throw in the book, while Stefon Diggs has established himself as one of the best receivers in the league. Dotson would be able to thrive as a No. 2 option in a top notch offense.

No. 27 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Speaking of teams with an elite quarterback and receiver … Tampa Bay has the best quarterback of all time coming back to lead its offense in Tom Brady, and has Mike Evans as an elite No. 1 option. Not to mention, former Nittany Lion Chris Godwin could be back sometime during the 2022 season after tearing his ACL last season.

Dotson would again excel as a secondary option with much of the defense’s attention going to Evans and Godwin when he comes back.

No. 44 to the Cleveland Browns

This projection has Dotson falling into the middle of the second round, but with another team that should have an elite offense. The Browns have Amari Cooper as a No. 1 option after acquiring him from the Dallas Cowboys, and he should be drawing most of the attention from opposing defenses.

Cooper could also help Dotson grow as a player, with their similar reliance on route running and creating separation to reach their potential. That being said, this seems to be the low end of where he could fall in the draft this week.

Edge Arnold Ebiketie

No. 30 to the Kansas City Chiefs

Ebiketie has the most volatility of any of these three players thanks to the nature of the position he plays. NFL teams are constantly looking to add pass rush help and that’s by far his best skill. This spot allows him to pin his ears back and chase quarterbacks while working on his ability to defend the run in practice.

Kansas City would likely play him on nearly every passing down, but could potentially take him off the field on rushing downs. That situational type role is one of two ways for him to grow into the player he can be.

No. 32 to the Detroit Lions

The other option for Ebiketie to develop is available in the next two scenarios. Detroit taking him with the last pick of the first round would make sense, given the fifth-year option first round picks have on their contract. That would allow the Lions to keep Ebiketie for an extra year if he pans out.

Of course, it would also allow him to get as many snaps as he needs while Detroit continues to rebuild and remains on the hunt for a quarterback and players at other important positions. Ebiketie would be a crucial piece to the foundation of their defense moving forward.

No. 58 to the Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons are in a very similar spot to the Lions, except with an even worse pass rush. They have arguably the worst pass rush in the NFL and don’t have much in the way of potential on the defensive line. Ebiketie would immediately become the player with the most upside as a pass rusher on the roster and could be asked to shoulder the load from that standpoint.

If he excels early, he could see double teams early in his career. If he struggles, he won’t have much help to free him up if he needs to see less attention from offensive lines to succeed.

S Jaquan Brisker

No. 61 to the San Francisco 49ers

Brisker could go late in the first round, or he could go in the third round, much like Ebiketie. While he would surely like to go earlier in the draft, there aren’t many landing spots better for him than the 49ers. San Francisco has one of the best defenses in the NFL when healthy and Brisker would help fortify the back end.

He provides much of the versatility to excel against the run and the pass that teams desire. Brisker would likely step into a major role early and would have a great shot to play playoff football early in his NFL career.