How did Penn State's 2025 NFL draft picks perform in their debuts?

How did Penn State’s 2025 NFL draft picks perform in their debuts? originally appeared on The Sporting News

Penn State finished with its best conference record in nine years, and made its first College Football Playoff appearance in 2025. The Nittany Lions fell short in the quarterfinal matchup with Notre Dame, but it was a memorable season with a talented roster.

Penn State saw five players from its 2024 team drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, and four more players sign as undrafted free agents.

Not all the Nittany Lions that made it to the next level to play on Sunday, but the one’s that did made their impact felt.

Penn State 2025 Draftees Make NFL Debut

Penn State’s five players drafted this year include defensive end Abdul Carter, tight end Tyler Warren, defensive backs Kevin Winston Jr. and Jaylen Reed, and linebacker Kobe King.

The Nittany Lions four undrafted free agents were offensive lineman Sal Wormley, receiver Julian Fleming, defensive tackle Coziah Izzard and cornerback Jalen Kimber.

So, how did they do on Sunday?

Abdul Carter

The New York Giants drafted Carter with the third overall pick and he made his presence felt in his NFL debut. Carter had a great 2024 season with Penn State, leading the FBS with 24 tackles for loss.

His senior year was highlighted by his ridiculous performance against Notre Dame, earning two TFLs, a sack and a pass defended. He continued disrupting the quarterback on Sunday, this time as a Giant.

Carter finished the game with three total tackles, a quarterback hit and a half-sack. The Nittany Lion already has himself on the sack stat sheet in the NFL after collecting 12 last year with Penn State.

Tyler Warren

The Indianapolis Colts drafted Warren with the 14th overall pick and he impressed throughout all of camp. The standout Nittany Lion played well in preseason and that carried over into his NFL debut.

Warren led the Colts with seven receptions and finished second, behind Michael Pittman Jr., with 76 receiving yards. Warren also led the team in targets with nine, and had one rush attempt for three yards.

Warren developed an obvious rapport with Colts’ quarterback Daniel Jones and that showed in his debut on Sunday.

Kevin Winston Jr., Jaylen Reed, Kobe King

Winston Jr. and Reed were third and sixth round picks by the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans, respectively. Neither former Nittany Lions saw action on Sunday, but they both had strong training camps.

Winston is still recovery from an injury, and should earn playing time later this season in Tennessee.

The Vikings drafted King in the sixth round and he made the team as a backup linebacker out of training camp. However, he did not see action on Monday night.

Undrafted Free Agents

None of Penn State’s undrafted free agents played on Sunday, but three of the four undrafted free agents have signed with a practice squad following training camp.

Wormley signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad after playing 96 pass protection snaps in preseason without allowing a sack.

Izzard signed with the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad and Kimber signed with the Buffalo Bills practice squad.

How did Penn State’s 2025 NFL draft picks perform in their debuts?

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