Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley taken in 5th round of 2026 NFL Draft. What to know
Another Penn State player has heard his name called at the 2026 NFL Draft.
Safety Zakee Wheatley was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round of the draft, going No. 151 overall. Wheatley is the fifth player from the Nittany Lions to go this year, joining OG Vega Ioane, QB Drew Allar, OT Drew Shelton and EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton.
He’s the third safety to go in the last two years from the program, joining K.J Winston, who went to the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and Jaylen Reed, who went in the sixth round of last year’s draft.
Wheatley was one of the team’s best defensive players this season and was routinely lauded for his versatility and ball skills.
He was one of the best players on the team’s defense when it came to forcing turnovers in his career, finishing with six interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. And he’s one of five Nittany Lions to record 15-plus tackles in a bowl or College Football Playoff game. He did so at the end of the 2024 season when he had 16 tackles against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinal.
Wheatley started 28 games and played in 57 in his five years with the program, becoming a starter as a redshirt junior at safety after beginning his college career as a cornerback. He broke out in 2024 when he started 16 games and was named All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media after he posted 96 tackles and three interceptions. He was then named All-Big Ten honorable mention by both the coaches and media in 2025 when he had 74 tackles and an interception.
The former Nittany Lion will likely immediately contribute on special teams if the Panthers want him to, and could eventually be able to compete for a starting spot at safety.
