Another Nittany Lion is off the board.
Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton became the fourth Penn State player selected in the 2026 NFL Draft when he was taken No. 120 overall in the fourth round by the Green Bay Packers on Saturday afternoon. Dennis-Sutton’s selection marks the third consecutive year a Nittany Lion defensive end has been selected, with first-round picks Abdul Carter and Chop Robinson taken in the last two drafts.
The former five-star recruit was the highest-rated player in Penn State’s touted 2022 class, making good on those projections with a Day 3 pick. Though Dennis-Sutton drew draft buzz last offseason, he opted to return for his senior year and helped improve his stock.
Despite the team’s midseason collapse and underwhelming 7-6 finish, Dennis-Sutton was a bright spot on both the defense and special teams, totaling 42 tackles, 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and three blocked punts, including a strong showing in a Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson, which many assumed he would opt out of. He gained a reputation as an elite pass-rusher, totaling 147 pressures across four seasons, and backed it up with strong testing numbers in the pre-draft process.
Dennis-Sutton joins guard Vega Ioane (No. 14 overall, round 1, Baltimore Ravens), quarterback Drew Allar (No. 76 overall, round 3, Pittsburgh Steelers) and offensive tackle Drew Shelton (No. 112, round 4, Dallas Cowboys) as Penn State players to hear their names called so far.
