Penn State guard Vega Ioane selected in first round of 2026 NFL Draft. What to know
The first Nittany Lion is off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Guard Vega Ioane went No. 14 overall in the first round of the draft Thursday night, landing with the Baltimore Ravens. He’s expected to slot in right away as a starting guard for the Ravens and should help right away as a rookie.
Ioane was the only Nittany Lion projected to go in the first round, and had consistently been picked to go on the first day of the draft throughout the draft process. He continued building momentum off a strong 2025 season where he was one of the few Penn State players who did not see a dip in play despite the program’s overall struggles.
Ioane continued to impress throughout the process and, despite not participating in speed or strength testing at the combine or Penn State’s Pro Day, moved his way up draft boards from a projected late first rounder to a projected early-to-mid first rounder.
He leaves the Nittany Lions as the first guard to go in the first round of the draft since 1996 when Jeff Hartings went No. 23 to the Detroit Lions. He’s the highest-drafted Penn State guard since 1982 when Mike Munchak, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, went eighth overall to the Houston Oilers.
Ioane spent four years at Penn State, and emerged as a quality starter in 2024 before taking a leap to stardom in 2025. He started 32 games in those four years, appearing in 44. He had 27 of those starts over the last two seasons, when he also produced highlight reel blocks when offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki split him out wide and had him come in motion — a testament to his power and athleticism.
The newest Baltimore guard was named a first team All-American by both On3 and CBS Sports and a second team All-American by The Athletic, the FWAA, Sports Illustrated and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. He’s the first of several Nittany Lions expected to hear their name called this weekend, and will likely end up as the only first rounder from Penn State in this year’s draft.
