With the season in the rear view, the college football world is quickly shifting gears toward the NFL Draft. On Tuesday, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah published his first top-50 prospect ranking of the year, and placed a pair of Penn State players — defensive end Abdul Carter and tight end Tyler Warren — high on his board.
Jeremiah has Carter, who he called an “electric edge rusher,” listed as the draft’s No. 1 overall player. He also has Carter being selected by the Tennessee Titans with the first overall pick in his initial mock draft of the year, which was published on Saturday. The last Nittany Lion selected first overall was Courtney Brown in 2000.
The 6-foot-3, 252-pound Carter was outstanding across his final collegiate season, a year in which he transitioned from linebacker to defensive end. He finished Penn State’s 16-game season with a team-leading 12 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss, and was named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American.
“He has average height and bulk, but he has an ELITE burst and his ability to flatten at the top of his rush is special,” Jeremiah wrote. “He gets a lot of early wins because of that speed, and he also has a nifty swipe/rip move. If tackles overset, he senses it early and crosses their face for immediate pressures/sacks.
“He also has a natural ability to retrace underneath when quarterbacks climb the pocket to avoid him. He can press out and control tight ends at the point of attack. He’s a blur when chasing plays down on the back side. Overall, Carter can take over and completely wreck an offensive game plan. He demands attention on every snap and that is going to free up everyone else around him.”
Warren was ranked by Jeremiah as the No. 5 overall player in the draft with a projected selection at No. 7 by the New York Jets. The 6-foot-6, 261-pound Warren won the Mackey Award for the nation’s top tight end after a season in which he tallied 1,233 receiving yards, 218 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns.
It could be difficult to find a player, other than Colorado’s two-way star Travis Hunter, with as much versatility as Warren. He could’ve entered the NFL Draft after last season, but chose to return, boosting his stock by rounds and likely earning himself a major pay raise following a historically dominant senior year with the Nittany Lions.
“Warren is a massive tight end who carried the Penn State offense this past season. He lined up in-line, in the slot and as a Wildcat quarterback,” Jeremiah wrote. “His production is the result of his size, catch radius and tenacity. He doesn’t generate a lot of separation as a route-runner, but he walls off defenders when on the move. Defenders simply can’t get through his body to make plays on the ball.
“He can track the ball over his shoulder and he can high-point the ball when needed. He isn’t a nifty option-route type of player. After the catch, defenders bounce off him or go along for a ride as he drags them for extra yardage. As a Wildcat quarterback, he creates space with his power and leg drive. He’s effective in the run game and looks to finish when possible. Overall, he isn’t as dynamic as Rob Gronkowski was during his career, but Warren is a similar player in a lot of ways.”
