ESPN's Matt Miller put out his very early projection for the first 32 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft using ESPN's Football Power Index. At the moment, there's a lot that can change, especially since Miller has underclassmen on his list that could potentially opt to maintain their college eligibility.
That's the case for one Penn State football player in this early mock draft. There are no surprises with the second Nittany Lion, though, and if all goes well in the 2025-26 season, he should remain a first round pick.
So who made the list?
2026 NFL mock draft predicts cornerback A.J. Harris will be selected No. 25 overall by the Washington Commanders
Cornerback A.J. Harris is the first Nittany Lion to appear on Miller's mock draft. He has Harris being selected No. 25 overall by the Washington Commanders, writing:
"[The Commanders] still have a need at corner . . . At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Harris has the length Dan Quinn loves in his corners. Harris has shown ball-hawking skills and loves to press and jam receivers. He's still a bit green, having started only one season, but last season's tape — along with Penn State's track record in developing defenders — makes Harris one of the most promising corners in the country."
Harris is one of Penn State's strongest returners. He's heading into his junior season and his second year with the Nittany Lions. Harris made 48 tackles, including 28 solos and 20 assists, in the 2024 season. That was 40 more than he did at Georgia as a freshman. He added five pass breakups and one interception as well.
The cornerback proved himself to be an essential piece to the Nittany Lions' secondary and a valuable defender across the NCAA.
At the moment, Miller has two cornerbacks going before Harris: Tennessee's Jermod McCoy and Clemson's Avieon Terrell. McCoy is currently projected to be selected No. 15 overall by the Dolphins and he has Terrell going to the Bengals No. 24 overall. Miller also has Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds being selected after Harris, No. 28 overall to the Ravens. Like Harris, these other three corners are underclassmen, so it's uncertain who will declare for the draft at the end of the season.
2026 NFL mock draft predicts quarterback Drew Allar will be selected No. 27 overall by the Los Angeles Rams
Unsurprisingly, quarterback Drew Allar is the second Nittany Lion on Miller's early mock draft. Allar is projected to be selected by the Los Angeles Rams going No. 27 overall. Miller wrote:
"Allar is a big-armed quarterback with good mobility for his size (6-foot-5, 238 pounds), but he hasn't quite put it all together. He has the arm to make any throw and can escape crowded pockets but goes through cold stretches where his decision-making and accuracy drop off. His development in 2024, in which he increased his completion percentage from 59.9% to 66.5%, is encouraging and suggests that more improvement is on the way."
In the 2024 season, Allar completed 262 passes for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns. After the improvements he had from sophomore to junior year, staying with the Nittany Lions instead of entering the 2025 NFL Draft gives Allar an opportunity to make strides, like limiting interceptions and continue improving his completion percentage.
Miller also noted that Los Angeles' Matthew Stafford's age (37 years old) makes this a good time for the Rams to pick a young quarterback and start developing him into the player they need.
Clemson's Cade Klubnik, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, and South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers going before the Nittany Lion. Miller has these quarterbacks going No. 1, No. 11, and No. 16 overall, respectively.