S – Lamont Wade
It will be interesting to see how scouts and NFL executives view Wade as the NFL Draft approaches.
Wade, 5-foot-9 and 187 pounds, has all of the tools to be a dominant box safety in the NFL, as evident by how disruptive he was against the run in the Big Ten. In his four seasons in Happy Valley, Wade produced 152 total tackles, nine pass breakups, three sacks, four forced fumbles, and intercepted a pass.
However, Wade will need to overcome moments on tape where he was a liability deep in coverage, perhaps by putting up strong workout numbers during Penn State’s Pro Day showcase.
What could push Wade up boards is the fact that he has the potential to be a dominant special teams contributor both on coverage-teams on punts and kickoffs. Additionally, he has the chance in the NFL to be a dominant returner, after he took an Illinois kickoff 100-plus yards for a touchdown in Penn State’s season finale. His prowess on special teams might get him drafted, and certainly will help him make a team out of camp next summer
If there is a team aiming to upgrade its special teams and also looking to give its run-defense a boost, Wade could be an interesting late-round target.