How Penn State players drafted on Day 2 will fit with their new NFL teams

Penn State had four players taken on the second day of the 2023 NFL Draft after not having any selected in the first round Thursday night.

Joey Porter Jr. went off the board first to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he was followed by Brenton Strange, Juice Scruggs and Ji’Ayir Brown going to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans and San Francisco respectively.

Let’s take a look at how the Nittany Lions will fare in their new NFL homes.

CB Joey Porter Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers

There is a lot to unpack here, so let’s start with the narrative aspect. Porter will start his career with the franchise most closely associated with his dad, Joey Porter Sr. His father played in Pittsburgh from 1999-2006 and won a Super Bowl with the Steelers before coaching there from 2014-2018 after his playing career ended. It’s poetic, on some level, for his son to begin his career there.

On the field, the fit will be an interesting one. Porter is long and athletic as a corner and does his best work against big, physical receivers. He’s the type of corner who, if things work out, could shadow opposing No. 1 receivers in big games. There’s an opportunity for him to be a legitimate shutdown corner as long as he rectifies his weak points. That begins with how his physicality can occasionally (usually) turn into holding penalties. He grabs receivers too often and tries to get away with too much contact when the ball is on its way.

The other issue here is the scheme fit. Porter would’ve excelled in places like Seattle, Baltimore or Minnesota where they want to play man coverage and press at the line of scrimmage. That would’ve allowed him to use his physicality and length more effectively. That’s not the case in Pittsburgh, where he will be asked to play more zone than he ideally would. He’ll have to get better at sitting in a zone and reading a quarterback instead of turning and running with opposing receivers.

That’s not to say Porter won’t pan out in Pittsburgh, but there will be much more of an adjustment for him than there could have been other places.

TE Brenton Strange to the Jacksonville Jaguars

Strange goes to a spot that might be one of the most ideal for him. From a team situation perspective, there are few better. He’ll technically be competing with incumbent Evan Engram at tight end, but they’re two very different players. Engram is essentially a jumbo wide receiver who can line up attached to the line of scrimmage, while Strange is more versatile and can be used in different ways.

It helps that head coach Doug Pederson is one of the most innovative play callers in the NFL. He frequently leaned on 12 personnel (one running back, two tight end) when he was leading the Philadelphia Eagles and that will likely be the case in Jacksonville as well. Strange opens the door for that to happen thanks to his versatility. He should see the field plenty in those packages and taking him in the second round indicates they plan on using him that way early and often.

Strange showed he can block this past season to go with his already established ability as a pass catcher. He’s a good but not great athlete who can create in the open field with his size and athleticism. He was a reliable red zone target for the Nittany Lions and should be the same for Jacksonville franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence. It’s difficult to view this as anything other than a positive outcome for Strange.

IOL Juice Scruggs to the Houston Texans

Scruggs going one pick after Strange was even more of a surprise than Porter falling out of the first round, but maybe it shouldn’t have been. He’s a versatile, experienced offensive lineman who can play guard or center and has the size and strength to play for a long time in the NFL. One of the biggest issues for Scruggs was the fractured vertebra he suffered in 2019, but that seems to be long behind him.

He’s been a stalwart for Penn State since he took over as a starter during the 2021 season and hasn’t looked back since. He’s a good athlete who can get to the second level in the running game, while having enough strength to hold up against nose tackles and other bigger defensive lineman. His pass protection was a positive as a Nittany Lion and his length and footwork should allow that to translate to his NFL career.

Of course, he was also the brains of the group, calling out pass protections and adjustments at the line of scrimmage as the team’s center for the last two seasons. His intelligence, athleticism and size give him all of the makings to be a long term starter. He’ll be entering a situation in Houston where the team needs a starting center and spending a second round pick on Scruggs points to a plan to make him the starter at that position as early as this season. He’ll team up with former Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud to form a battery that could last together for a long time.

S Ji’Ayir Brown to the San Francisco 49ers

Brown’s landing spot was always going to be an interesting one. He’s not as athletically gifted as most safeties, but he’s an instinctual player who makes up for his lack of straight-line speed with his football IQ. He’s always in the right place at the right time and is great at putting himself in a position to succeed on a play to play basis. He’s excellent in zone coverage, where he can lurk in the middle of the field, waiting for the quarterback to make a mistake. He can help in man coverage against tight ends and running backs because of his physicality, although his size and lack of speed could hurt him.

He can drop into the box and help as a blitzer or against the run because of his instincts and knack for finding whoever has the ball. All in all, Brown should be a starting level safety in the NFL. That could come sooner rather than later thanks to the 49ers taking him in the third round. Not just that, but they traded up and it was their first pick in this year’s draft. That’s a notable investment in a player and will impact the opportunity he gets to start his career.

As far as fit is concerned, this is a good one. Tashaun Gipson will be 33 before the season starts and there’s reason to believe Brown will step in and start right away. It’ll help that next to him will be breakout safety Talanoa Hufanga, who is better against the run and when he can freelance all over the field. Brown should complement Hufanga well and they should make for a quality starting safety duo in San Francisco.