Penn State guard Vega Ioane came off the board on the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Ioane was selected with the No. 14 overall pick in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, making him both the first guard and the first Nittany Lion to hear his name called this year. He also became the first Penn State guard drafted since Connor McGovern was taken by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round in 2019.
Heading into the draft, Ioane was viewed as the consensus top guard prospect and most analysts expected him to be selected between No. 10 and No. 21 overall. He measured in at 6-foot-4 and 326 pounds with a 31.5-inch vertical jump and 8-foot-8 broad jump at the NFL Scouting Combine during the pre-draft process.
Ioane spent the last four seasons in Happy Valley, making 32 starts, including time at both left and right guard. In his final two seasons, Ioane allowed no sacks and just one quarterback hit on 1,118 pass protection snaps. He also earned favorable PFF grades as a run blocker in both campaigns.
The Graham, Washington, native earned first-team All-Big Ten and first-team All-American honors in 2025 despite starting just 11 games, following up on a second-team All-Big Ten appearance the previous season.
The former four-star recruit had multiple viral moments during his time wearing the blue and white, including a pancake block against UCLA in 2024 after being sent in motion and for helping an equipment manager push a cart up the tunnel at Ohio State last fall after a 38-14 loss, showcasing his character.
Ioane will join former Nittany Lion linebacker Adisa Isaac and cornerback Amani Oruwariye in Baltimore.
