Athletics

Six Nittany Lions selected during NFL draft

Penn State running back Miles Sanders was among six Nittany Lions selected in this year's NFL draft. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Six Penn State football players were selected during the 2019 NFL Draft this past weekend.

Running back Miles Sanders was selected in the second round with the 53rd overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Sanders is the 14th Penn State running back to be drafted in the first or second round of the NFL Draft. Sanders and Saquon Barkley, who was the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2018, are the first Penn State running backs to be drafted in the first two rounds in back-to-back years since 1980 (Matt Suhey - 1980; second round, No. 46 overall – Chicago Bears) and 1981 (Booker Moore - 1981; first round, No. 28 overall – Buffalo Bills). Sanders is the 35th Nittany Lion running back all-time to be drafted. Sanders is the 22nd Penn State player to be drafted by Philadelphia.

Offensive lineman Connor McGovern was taken in the third round with the 90th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys.

McGovern is the first Penn State guard to be drafted since John Urschel was chosen in the fifth round by the Baltimore Ravens in 2014. McGovern is the highest Penn State guard to be drafted since Jeff Hartings was the No. 23 overall pick in the 1996 draft by the Detroit Lions. McGovern is the 32nd Penn State guard drafted all-time and the 10th player selected by the Dallas Cowboys.  

Penn State defensive end Shareef Miller, cornerback Amani Oruwariye, quarterback Trace McSorley and safety Nick Scott were chosen on the third day of the draft.

Miller was selected in the fourth round with the 138th overall pick by his hometown Philadelphia Eagles, Oruwariye was chosen in the fifth round with the 146th overall pick by the Detroit Lions, McSorley was picked in the sixth round with the 197th overall selection by the Baltimore Ravens, and Scott was chosen in the seventh round with the 243rd overall selection by the Los Angeles Rams.

With Miller's selection, 12 Penn State defensive linemen have been NFL Draft choices since 2006. Miller is the 18th Nittany Lion defensive end all-time to be drafted and is the 23rd Penn State player to be drafted by Philadelphia.

Oruwariye is the 33rd Nittany Lion defensive back all-time to be drafted and is the 16th Penn State player to be drafted by Detroit.

McSorley is the first Penn State quarterback to be selected in the NFL Draft since Christian Hackenberg was selected in the second round (No. 51 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. McSorley is the 14th Nittany Lion quarterback all-time to be drafted and is the fourth Penn State player to be drafted by Baltimore.

A total of 356 Nittany Lions have been selected all-time in the NFL Draft, which ranks eighth among Division I institutions, including 37 in the first round. Penn State has had 35 draft picks since 2010.

Last Updated June 12, 2019