Penn State defensive end Arnold Ebiketie had his NFL dreams realized on Friday night as he was selected No. 38 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the NFL Draft.
Ebiketie played at Penn State for just one season after transferring from Temple. The Maryland native was an instant impact addition to the Nittany Lions’ defensive front racking up 62 tackles over the course of the regular season including 18 for a loss.
“We are extremely happy for AK to have earned this opportunity with the Atlanta Falcons,” said Penn State head coach James Franklin. “When people talk about player development, AK is one of the first guys that comes to my mind. He arrived in Happy Valley as a talented player with collegiate experience; however, his willingness to buy into our system and culture really allowed him to take his game to the next level. AK has an infectious personality and embodies our program’s core values. He always has a huge smile on his face and his positive attitude impacts our locker room on a daily basis. AK earned the respect of the staff and his teammates quickly through his maturity level and work ethic, which is something I expect will translate well at the next level. I am very excited to watch AK’s continued success for years to come with the Falcons.”
The now former Nittany Lion had a season-high 10 tackles against Illinois and managed 9.5 sacks over the course of the season. Ebiketie gives Penn State four-straight NFL draft classes with a defensive end selected and the third-straight year with a defensive end chosen in the first three rounds. He joins Odafe Oweh and Yetur Gross-Matos who were selected in the first and second rounds in 2021 and 2020 respectively.
“Arnold is a super talented player,” said Penn State defensive line coach John Scott Jr. “He is one of the most dominant pass rushers that I’ve coached in my career. Arnold has elite athleticism, lateral movement and quickness. He can rush the passer, he’s a smart rusher, he can hold his own in the run game and it was fun watching him get better and better every week at Penn State. His attitude and personality will be infectious in the Falcons’ locker room. You love being around him, he comes to work, he’s the same guy every day and he’s a very consistent player.”
Ebiketie is the latest Nittany Lion to go off the board following in the footsteps of receiver Jahan Dotson who was selected No. 16 overall by the Washington Commanders in the first round of the draft on Thursday night.
