Five Penn State Nittany Lions were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, including two first-round selections: Defensive end Abdul Carter, No. 3 overall to the New York Giants, and tight end Tyler Warren, No. 14 overall to the Indianapolis Colts. However, even after the final round of the draft concluded on Saturday in Green Bay, NFL teams were still looking to add former Nittany Lions to their rosters.
Undrafted free agents have an uphill battle to make a roster, but as players fight for their football lives, an invite to rookie mini camp as a UDFA is the best possible opportunity. These four Penn State players will have the offseason to prove their worth after signing free agent deals after the 2025 NFL Draft.
4 former Nittany Lions nab UDFA deals in the NFL
- Julian Fleming, WR: Green Bay Packers
- Jalen Kimber, CB: Tennessee Titans
- Coziah Izzard, DL: Kansas City Chiefs
- Sal Wormley, OG: Jacksonville Jaguars
Julian Fleming and Jalen Kimber both spent just one season in Happy Valley as transfer portal additions last offseason. Fleming failed to establish a high-volume role in the Penn State passing game after four seasons playing in the shadows of eventual first-round picks at Ohio State. He also became one of 10 former five-star recruits who did not hear their names called in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Fleming will need to rely on his run-blocking acumen to battle for a roster spot in a crowded Green Bay wide receiver room, but that likely won’t be enough to make a team that just invested a first and a third-round selection in playmakers on the outside.
Kimber will join fellow Nittany Lion Kevin Winston Jr. in Tennessee, and as the Titans undergo a full rebuild, he could get the chance to finally play with the talented safety who was selected in the third round. Winston played just two games last season before a knee injury shut him down the rest of the way.
Dvon J-Thomas and Amin Vanover, two productive members of Penn State’s defensive line, failed to latch on with an NFL team after the draft, and are still waiting for their opportunity at the next level.