Potential surprise Penn State NFL Draft prospects

Yesterday we previewed the top Penn State football players targeted by the NFL Draft for this upcoming football season. But as we know, there are always surprises after the season, with players declaring with eligibility left on the table and a less-than-complete scouting profile. So to make things interesting, here are the players with NFL-level skill and draft eligibility who could make the leap after a successful season.

Potential surprise NFL Draft prospects

Landon Tengwall

It’s amazing how short of a memory we have as a collective community. Not long ago, Penn State fans were ecstatic about Landon Tengwall committing to the Penn State program. Tengwall was the first in this next generation of offensive linemen under Phil Trautwein. The 6-6, 300-pound tackle prospect was the 72nd overall player in the country by the On3 Industry ranking and was a top-ten tackle prospect. While Tengwall eventually moved to guard, his NFL-level talent hasn’t changed. A redshirt season and injuries got in the way of our collective awareness about Tengwall’s ability.

But make no mistake; if Tengwall comes back this season and plays to the level we expect, he is easily a draftable player in the NFL. Older offensive linemen traditionally do better out of the gate, but Tengwall has the skills to overlook his lack of production and one-year sample size of play. It’s not a stretch to say he could declare early after a standout season.

Zakee Wheatley

Zakee Wheatley fits into the same talent bucket as Tengwall. The 6-2 Penn State safety has great range and impressive ball skills and, with a strong season, could declare early for the draft. Like tight ends, Safeties aren’t valued as first-round picks unless they’re freak athletes. But not every player needs to be a first-round pick to be a success.

Wheatley has some areas to improve in his profile, namely tackling and consistency in coverage, but he has high-end traits that stand out. His ability to generate turnovers showed up in his move to safety last season. So if he displays those skills again and improves his play in other areas, he could be an early entry into the draft. His main issue will be getting enough snaps in a crowded Penn State safety room that is deep and talented.

Tyler Warren

There’s no guarantee that Theo Johnson will get through the season healthy. The highly-talented pass-catching tight end has seen multiple setbacks throughout his career at Penn State. We do not wish it on anyone, but those are the facts. So if something did happen, Tyler Warren has physical-freak characteristics to his game. He’s got a lot to prove before he’s ready to play in the NFL, but the size and speed components are clear. He needs to prove he’s a consistent threat in the passing game and not a red zone specialist in jump-ball situations.

Warren’s blocking also needs to reach a level of consistency to get him over the hump. Unless something drastically changes, he’ll likely be an all-around prospect at the position and not a splash-play specialist that NFL teams look for in the early rounds. However, Warren’s physical skills align him with the rest of Penn State’s tight end draft picks in recent memory. A third-round selection isn’t out of the question in his future.

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