How 6 Nittany Lions fit with their new NFL teams after Day 3 of the 2026 Draft
Penn State had a busy Saturday on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft with six former Nittany Lions going in the final four rounds.
Those six — Drew Shelton, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zakee Wheatley, Nick Singleton, Zane Durant and Kaytron Allen — join Vega Ioane (first round to the Baltimore Ravens) and Drew Allar (third round to the Pittsburgh Steelers) as Penn State players to go in this year’s draft.
Here’s how the six Nittany Lions who went Saturday will fit with their teams.
OT Drew Shelton to the Dallas Cowboys
Drafted: 4th round, No. 112 overall
Shelton isn’t going to come in and unseat either Terrence Steele or Tyler Guyton as the Cowboys’ starting tackles after he was taken in the fourth round, but he should be able to compete as a backup and earn the job as the team’s swing tackle. He’s a good pass protector but will need to continue getting stronger if he wants to stick on the outside in the NFL. Shelton is a good athlete who could move inside to center if need be, but Dallas needs a swing tackle and he’ll fill that role nicely.
EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton to the Green Bay Packers
Drafted: 4th round, No. 120 overall
Dennis-Sutton’s drop to the fourth round was a bit of a surprise, but he lands in an ideal landing spot in Green Bay. The Packers hired Jonathan Gannon as their defensive coordinator this offseason, and he relies on his front four to get home and create pressure — but also occasionally asks those edge players to drop into coverage. Dennis-Sutton is capable of doing both and should have a chance to get playing time right away. In fact, there’s a world where he’s a starting EDGE for this team by the end of the season alongside fellow former Nittany Lion Micah Parsons.
S Zakee Wheatley to the Carolina Panthers
Drafted: 5th round, No. 151 overall
Wheatley also fell further than expected, landing in the fifth round. And like Dennis-Sutton, he lands somewhere he can compete to play as a rookie. The safety is extremely versatile after moving from corner, where he played when he first arrived at Penn State. He took off as a safety in the last few years, showcasing his ability in coverage in both man and zone, while also proving he’s a willing tackler. Wheatley has a nose for the ball and is one of the best bets to be in the league for a while in this Penn State class, and should help immediately at both safety and on special teams.
RB Nick Singleton to the Tennessee Titans
Drafted: 5th round, No. 165 overall
Singleton struggled during his senior year at Penn State, which is why he fell to the fifth round, but he landed somewhere he can play early in his NFL career. The Titans have Tony Pollard, who played well as the team’s starter in 2025, and Tyjae Spears, who backed him up but dealt with injury issues throughout the year. Pollard is old for a running back, turning 30 next week, and those injury issues for Spears have been a problem his entire career. Singleton could contribute on third downs early because of his ability as a pass protector and receiver, and could eventually grow into a bigger role. He has the size and speed to be an elite NFL running back, but his vision is lacking and needs to improve drastically for him to be a starter.
DT Zane Durant to the Buffalo Bills
Drafted: 5th round, No. 181 overall
Durant is an outlier as a defensive tackle at only 6-foot-1, 293 pounds and will have to make his name in the NFL as a situational pass rusher. He’s an elite athlete with impressive strength for his size, but he still struggles at times against the run. If he can continue to get better in that regard and get bigger, he will have a chance to be much more than a situational player. If he doesn’t, his size, speed and explosion should allow him to make an impact getting after the quarterback from the interior. He’ll have to fight for a roster spot in Buffalo, but he should make the team’s practice squad at the very least.
RB Kaytron Allen to the Washington Commanders
Drafted: 6th round, No. 187 overall
Allen had to wait a while to hear his name called, but the Commanders are a solid landing spot. He has a chance to be a three-down back in the NFL because he’s a solid pass protector and generally a good pass catcher — all while being a decisive power runner when he has the ball in his hands. The downside is that he’s relatively slow and may struggle to hit big runs because of it. That being said, the Commanders do not have much in their running back room. Rachaad White is fine, as are Jerome Ford and Jeremy McNichols. Jacory Croskey-Merritt is a talented player but struggled when he had an every-down role last season. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Allen makes the team and finds his way onto the field as a rookie for the Commanders.
