Brandon Smith becomes fourth Nittany Lion to go in 2022 NFL Draft. What to know

Penn State had its first linebacker go off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft Saturday afternoon. Former Nittany Lion Brandon Smith was taken No. 120 overall — with the 15th pick of the fourth round — by the Carolina Panthers.

Smith is the fourth former Penn Stater to go in the draft, joining Jahan Dotson, Arnold Ebiketie and Jaquan Brisker. He’s the third defender to go behind Ebiketie and Brisker, and the first player from the 2021 Nittany Lion roster to go on the third day of the draft.

He joined his former college program as a five-star linebacker recruit out of high school and tallied 131 tackles in three years of college football to go with four sacks and an interception.

He left early for the draft and impressed with his size and athleticism at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. He measured in at 6-foot-3.5, 250 pounds and ran a 4.52 40-yard dash, showing off what makes him so tantalizing as an NFL prospect.

While Smith played linebacker at Penn State, he could be most effectively used as a pass rusher at the next level.

One anonymous NFL scout told the Centre Daily Times that Smith’s draft position would depend on his ability to impress a team with his background.

“If people study his background and like him afterwards, then they’ll take him in the third,” the scout said. “And if someone studies his background and watches the tape, he may go in five or six.”

This story was originally published April 30, 2022 at 12:55 PM.

Jon Sauber

Centre Daily Times

(814) 231-6461

Jon Sauber covers Penn State football and men’s basketball for the Centre Daily Times. He earned his B.A. in digital and print journalism from Penn State and his M.A. in sports journalism from IUPUI. His previous stops include jobs at The Indianapolis Star, the NCAA, and Rivals.