Penn State football standouts from Week One of the NFL Preseason

Penn State’s NFL Class of 2023 is off and running in the Preseason. We’re tracking how each player that suites up for one of the 32 NFL teams performs this preseason. With the first full week in the books, here’s who played and how they performed. 

Polarizing Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford

The polarizing Penn State quarterback picked up where he left on in college, having a wild ride of a first game in the NFL. On the plus side, Sean Clifford was highly efficient, going 20-26 for 208 yards and a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. On the flip side, he threw a pick-six and was unlucky on a second interception when one of his receivers failed to fight enough for a tight-window throw. 

Overall, it was a good debut for Clifford, who is angling for the backup job to Jordan Love in Green Bay. The 25-year-old rookie looked poised and confident for the majority of his snaps on Sunday. His command of the offense was good, even if he struggled to hit some easy targets on designed bootlegs, a staple of the offense. Detractors will point to the two interceptions, but as always, both came with mitigating circumstances.

Brenton Strange

Fans may not realize how good of a blocker Brenton Strange was at Penn State. He’s not a dominant player in terms of size, but he’s ferocious in the run game and will get his pads under defensive backs, linebackers, and some defensive ends who don’t respect him enough. 

Strange caught two passes for eight yards, which is nothing to write home about, but he’s doing a good job of carving out a role for himself on the Jaguars roster. With Evan Engram as the “Zach Ertz” role in Doug Pederson’s offense, Strange needs to beat out Luke Farrell for the “Dallas Goedert” position in the starting lineup. Even if he doesn’t, the second-round pick will be a part of the team’s short-yardage packages. 

Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley 

Penn State’s top pass catchers from last season had quiet nights for their respective teams. Parker Washington caught a crossing route for 11 yards while Mitchell Tinsley hauled in one pass for 26. While Washington was a drafted player, he’s buried on the third team of the Jaguar’s depth chart. He’s likely a player that projects to 2024 and beyond for the Jags. Tinsley, an undrafted player, sits fourth behind former Penn Stater Jahan Dotson for the Commanders. 

Juice Scruggs

Due to an unfortunate injury to starter Scott Quessenberry, Juice Scruggs is on his way to starting for the Houston Texans in front of top pick CJ Stroud. Penn State’s former center did good work in his first preseason game. 

Scruggs will have plenty on his plate to master in the coming months as the signal caller of the offensive line. However, he’s got the size and movement skills to be a quality NFL center. It’s likely just sooner than the Texans had anticipated. 

Ji’Ayir Brown leads the Penn State defenders

I looked at Ji’Ayir Brown’s film from this weekend because I was curious to see how the San Francisco 49ers would use the former Penn State safety in their multiple defenses. Brown primarily played free safety for the 49ers and started the entire first half. The good news is that free safety is a more natural position for Tig than strong, as he’s not the tackler you need in the NFL. Despite that, he made some great plays in the run game and was ultra-physical in the box when given a chance.

He spent most of the night in deep coverage, so his job was limiting the mistakes of others. Yet, when the 49ers reached third down, he played well in man coverage over slot tight ends. The 49ers have a solid secondary, especially at safety, but Brown will figure into their plans this year. He’s smart and looks like he’s already well on his way to an advanced understanding of the playbook. 

PJ Mustipher and Jonathan Sutherland

Both form Penn State defensive leaders saw action late in their respective team’s first preseason games. Jonathan Sutherland played 57 snaps for the Seattle Seahawks and grabbed two tackles and a quarterback hit on the right. He also allowed 26 yards on four receptions, according to PFF. 

Meanwhile, PJ Mustipher managed two tackles and a shocking three quarterback hurries for the Denver Broncos. Mustipher struggled to generate pressure last season for Penn State, coming off of a knee injury in 2021. Overall he played 29 snaps for the Broncos. 

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