Penn State has had 401 players drafted into the NFL, seventh most of any school, and 45 in the first round. The 2026 class of eight was led by guard Vega Ioane at 14th overall to Baltimore, and the program has now had at least five players selected in nine consecutive drafts, a run matched only by Alabama and Georgia.
| Total draft picks all time | 401, seventh most |
| First round picks all time | 45 |
| No. 1 overall picks | Ki-Jana Carter 1995, Courtney Brown 2000 |
| Most picks in one draft | 10, in 1996 |
| Picks since 2018 | 58, most in an eight year span since 1987 to 1995 |
| First round streak | Three straight drafts, 2024 to 2026 |
The 2026 Draft
Eight Nittany Lions were selected in Pittsburgh, the fourteenth time the program has reached eight in a draft and the first since 2024. Vega Ioane went 14th to the Ravens, becoming the 45th first round pick in program history and the fourth guard taken in the first round. The class came from a 7 and 6 team that had been ranked second in the preseason, which says something about how the roster was assessed against how the season went.
The 2025 Draft
Five players were drafted, led by two first rounders. Abdul Carter went third overall to the New York Giants, the program’s highest pick since Saquon Barkley went second to the same team in 2018, and Tyler Warren went 14th to Indianapolis after winning the Mackey Award. Carter and Warren were the first Penn State pair in the top 15 since LaVar Arrington and Courtney Brown went first and second in 2000.
The Top Five Picks
| Year | Player | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | RB Ki-Jana Carter, Cincinnati | 1st |
| 2000 | DE Courtney Brown, Cleveland | 1st |
| 2000 | LB LaVar Arrington, Washington | 2nd |
| 2018 | RB Saquon Barkley, New York Giants | 2nd |
| 2025 | DE Abdul Carter, New York Giants | 3rd |
| 1980 | DT Bruce Clark, Green Bay | 4th |
Penn State has had two No. 1 overall picks, both in a six year span, and the 2000 draft opened with two Nittany Lions. Ki-Jana Carter was the first, taken by Cincinnati after it traded up, five months after finishing second in the Heisman vote.
The Lean Decade
Between 2011 and 2020 Penn State produced a single first round pick, Saquon Barkley, a stretch that covered the sanctions years and the rebuild under Bill O’Brien and James Franklin. Since 2021 the program has produced ten, including Micah Parsons, Jahan Dotson, Olu Fashanu, Chop Robinson, Carter, Warren and Ioane. Lenny Moore, whom Joe Paterno called the best player he ever coached, was the first Penn State first rounder in 1956.
Linebacker U and the Lines
Penn State’s draft pipeline has historically run through the defence. James Franklin’s tenure produced nine defensive ends and six tight ends drafted, tied for the most among active coaches in both categories, and the linebacker tradition that runs from Jack Ham through LaVar Arrington to Parsons and Carter is the program’s identity. Our All-Americans page covers the college honours behind it.
The Bottom Line
Penn State has 401 NFL draft picks, seventh most of any school, and 45 first rounders, with a record ten selections in 1996 and eight in 2026. Two Nittany Lions have gone first overall. The program has had five or more players drafted in nine consecutive years, a run shared only with Alabama and Georgia, and Vega Ioane at 14th in 2026 extended the first round streak to three.