For a handful of former Nittany Lions, Thursday night will official mark the start of their NFL futures as months of preparation and workouts will begin to materialize into the moment they’ve been waiting for. That moment when the phone rings and it’s an NFL GM ready to call your name, an agent ready to show you a deal, a dream about to be realized.
Of course the draft only marks the start of that journey, one full of ups and downs, but it’s a start that these players have been waiting for their entire lives.
Here’s how to watch it unfold.
Round 1
When: Thursday, 8 p.m. ET
How to watch: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
Does it matter for Penn State?: Last year was all about Penn State with Saquon Barkley going No.2 overall at New York. This year things stand to be a bit less dramatic with no obvious first round options on the table. Miles Sanders and Amani Oruwariye both have an outside shot of sneaking into the first round, but given the lack of value franchises have put on drafting running backs high and the number of defensive players in this draft, things would have to go differently than expected for either player to hear their name called on Thursday night.
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Rounds 2-3
When: Friday, 7 p.m. ET
How to watch: ABC, ESPN/ESPN2, NFL Network
Does it matter for Penn State?: This is a big round for Connor McGovern who will be hoping to be selected earlier rather than later as guaranteed money drops as each pick goes along. Both Sanders and Oruwariye will get picked up in this area, but it will come down to teams and needs in terms of determining who will go off the board first. This should be the second most active day in the draft for Penn State and one that will help determine how smart Sanders and McGovern in particular look for going pro early.
Rounds 4-7
When: Saturday, noon ET
How to watch: ABC/ESPN, NFL Network
Does it matter for Penn State?: Aside from free agency this looks to be the busiest day Penn State will have at the draft as teams roll through the final few rounds. For Ryan Bates, Kevin Givens and Shareef Miller, all three will want to prove their early departures were the right call. It will be interesting to see if Trace McSorley manages to sneak in here somewhere even if it seems more than likely that he will end up going the free agent route, which isn’t a bad option if he can field opportunities from teams that fit his style of play.
Left on the board are the likes of Nick Scott, DeAndre Thompkins and Koa Farmer. Thompkins will an interesting prospect to watch this weekend after testing well this offseason and turning some heads with his speed. The NFL will never turn down a speedy wideout, and for any woes he may have had in college, there’s no discrediting the Point A to Point B speed he showed off.
Anyone who doesn’t go today will likely sign a deal in the next 24 hours, so Sunday evening should be nothing but Game of Thrones for everyone involved.
