As maneuver through bowl season and look forward to Penn State’s matchup against Arkansas in the Outback Bowl, we have also seen a flurry of opt-outs around college football from players prepping for the 2022 NFL Draft. Penn State currently has two in starting linebackers Brandon Smith and Ellis Brooks, leaving the Nittany Lions with some big shoes to fill on the defense for the bowl game.
With that being said, we are just a few months away from the draft, and we have seen multiple first-round mock drafts with Penn State players being selected. Some have been selected early, while others have been taken later in the first round.
This week, we have a CBS Sports mock draft with two Nittany Lions being selected. But it’s not the same two Penn State players that were previously projected in the first round by CBS Sports. The first one is wide receiver Jahan Dotson heading to the Tennessee Titans with the 26th overall pick.
The wide receiver position has become a concern for the Titans. Tennessee traded for Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, but he has struggled to stay healthy over the past few years.
The Titans traded up in the fifth round for Louisville wide receiver Dez Fitzpatrick, who was cut from the 53-man roster but has since earned his way back on the roster.
Dotson not only provides experience, but he would be a reliable weapon in the Titans’ wide receiver room, especially with the injury concerns the Titans have been dealing with. Dotson also provides an ample amount of speed for that wide receiver room.
It is worth noting Dotson has not officially come out and declared for the NFL draft, but it is widely expected he will head to the pros after the bowl game.
The next player is being taken by the Dallas Cowboys as Jerry Jones is projected to select a linebacker in the first round for the second straight year. Brandon Smith reunites with former Nittany Lion Micah Parsons in what would have the potential to be a lethal duo for the Cowboys.
Many analysts are high on Smith, saying he has the potential to be another version of Parsons. And considering the kind of season Parsons is having as a rookie for Dallas, that is an incredibly scary thought.
Smith is an athletic freak with terrific vision as a linebacker. He has the elite speed to make plays out of nowhere all over the field. He would be a massive addition to the Cowboys, as he has the talent to be a future starting linebacker in the NFL.
From one getting to work with two elite receivers and the other reuniting with his former teammate, both Dotson and Smith would be huge additions to these respective teams.
List
Full Big Ten bowl schedule for 2021-2022
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Penn State LB Brandon Smith declares for NFL draft, will skip Outback Bowl
Outback Bowl: Arkansas loses top receiver to opt-out
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