Success in the NFL is determined by countless factors, but when you boil it down, it’s a lot like real estate. It’s all about location, location, location. For the 248 prospects who will be selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, their fate will largely be determined by where they end up.
Obviously, talent, athleticism, intelligence, and work ethic all play a role, but there are plenty of great players who withered away on the wrong team and just as many average players who became great in the right environment. Penn State fans certainly want their 10 players heading for the league to end up with the best fit possible.
So, here is the best scheme and development fit for the top five Penn State NFL Draft prospects in 2024.
The New York Jets took serious measures to address their offensive line after Aaron Rodgers survived just a few snaps last season before a torn achilles ended his first year with the team. However, they’re only temporary measures, 33-year-old Tyron Smith at left tackle and 33-year-old Morgan Moses at right tackle.
Smith and Moses are serviceable, but give New York no future at the position. Brock Bowers is often mocked to the Jets because the team is all-in on Rodgers’s final seasons, so they need to take a big swing early, but Fashanu would still be a good fit for them and they’d be a perfect fit for him.
Fashanu was likely a top-10 pick last season before returning and hurting his draft stock with struggles in the run game. He’s likely to slide outside of the top 10, but with New York’s extended runway to starting reps and pass-heavy offense with Rodgers, Fashanu would slide in perfectly as Smith’s heir-apparent at left tackle.
When Jonathan Gannon was in Philadelphia, he loved speed rushers off the edge and that’s exactly what Chop Robinson is. He’s a bit of a one-trick pony, but if he can do that trick well, then he can succeed as a defensive end in Gannon’s system.
Arizona has moved Zaven Collins from linebacker to defensive end and has BJ Ojulari on the other side so there’s plenty of room in the rotation for Robinson to get enough snaps to impact the game as a speed rusher with his quick first step, and develop the rest of his pass-rush repertoire.
Robinson has slid back to being a fringe first-rounder, but with Arizona at the back end of the first with Houston’s pick, he seems like a great fit investment. The Cardinals, which only generated pressure on 17.1% of defensive snaps last season (31st in the NFL), desperately need to add to the pass rush.
Adisa Isaac is a bit of a different pass-rusher than Robinson. He doesn’t have the same elite-level speed, but with his combination of speed, length, and strength has more tools in the toolkit as a pass-rusher.
He profiles as a 3-4 outside linebacker which is a great fit in Baltimore, exactly where former Nittany Lion Odafe Oweh plays. Baltimore just lost Jadeveon Clowney in free agency, after he revitalized his career with the Ravens, and Isaac perfectly slots into that role.
The Ravens are always looking for depth in the pass-rush and Isaac playing in a deep rotation could be ideal. As The Athletic’s Dane Brugler put it, “Isaac needs to mature his approach to be more than a flash player.” Baltimore would take advantage of those flashes while giving him plenty of time to develop into a more well-rounded edge.
The Cincinnati Bengals need more targets for Joe Burrow. They have two excellent ones with Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, Higgins is likely moving on after this season and Tyler Boyd is still a free agent, but has likely played his final game for Cincinnati.
Johnson still needs time to develop, his production at Penn State never matched his freakish athleticism, but eventually, it will, and likely right in time for the Bengals to move on from Higgins. For Year 1, Cincinnati will have Mike Gesicki ahead of him on the depth chart, which will give Johnson time to improve.
While he isn’t a good blocker, Johnson will be a mismatch nightmare in the passing game. At 6-foot-6 259 lbs, he ran a 4.57 40-yard dash with a 39.5-inch vertical. We know Joe Burrow loves to throw a jump ball, and it’s likely he can adjust to throwing them to a tight end instead of just wide receivers.
Since the end of the regular season, Wallace has been shooting up NFL draft boards, the way that Rasheed Walker should have before being a seventh-rounder in 2022. Well, Wallace could very well go on Day 2 of the draft and the best fit for him is the Washington Commanders.
Wallace is best blocking in the run game and may even move inside to guard in the NFL. That versatility makes him perfect for Washington which desperately needs to build up its entire O-line to protect Jayden Daniels, the team’s likely No. 2 overall selection.
Kliff Kingsbury is known for the air-raid offense, so it may not be a perfect match from that perspective, but the air-raid style isn’t exactly perfect for Daniels either. He’s a good passer, but when he feels pressure, he’s going to take off and run. Washington will need to lean on his legs and on the run-game to develop Daniels and Wallace will help that process along.