ALTOONA, Pa. -- There was a time early in the 2021 season when Rasheed Walker was being mentioned as a potential first-round draft pick. He went into the draft being right around a top-100 prospect. And yet he almost wasn't drafted at all, getting picked 249th by the Green Bay Packers, out of 262 players selected.
Walker was rated the No. 104 prospect by NFL Mock Draft Database, and his plummeting draft stock was far and away the most disappointing aspect of the draft for any Penn State player. Sure, there were always questions about him after a tough 2021 season that was cut short by knee injury, but it was head scratching nonetheless that it took until nearly the end of the draft for anyone to give the 6-foot-6, 313-pound left tackle a shot.
Given his size and that he plays one of the most important positions on the field, Walker has a chance to be a great value pick for the Packers. That's if he's healthy and determined to prove everyone wrong.
Walker missed the final three games of Penn State's season with a meniscus injury, then was unable to take part in workouts at the NFL combine or pro day. So, teams were left wondering about him from a health standpoint, coupled with the fact that he had a disappointing final season on the field for the Nittany Lions.
Walker was asked by the Green Bay media what it was like waiting to hear his name called and if he would use the draft slide as motivation.
"These past 24 hours have been pretty nerve racking, but I'm just very thankful for the Green Bay Packers to give me the opportunity, because honestly that's really all I needed," he said. "I can't wait to get up there to Wisconsin and go to work."
ALL DRAFT PICKS
Penn State had eight players selected in the draft, its most since 1996 (10). Here's a look at where each one went (from GoPSUSports):
WR Jahan Dotson, 1st Round, 16th Overall, Washington Commanders
DE Arnold Ebiketie, 2nd Round, 38th Overall, Atlanta Falcons
S Jaquan Brisker, 2nd Round, 48th Overall, Chicago Bears
LB Brandon Smith, 4th Round, 120th Overall, Carolina Panthers
P Jordan Stout, 4th Round, 130th Overall, Baltimore Ravens
CB Tariq Castro-Fields, 6th Round, 221st Overall, San Francisco 49ers
OT Rasheed Walker, 7th Round, 249th Overall, Green Bay Packers
DE/LB Jesse Luketa, 7th Round, 256th Overall, Arizona Cardinals
BIGGEST WINNERS
* Dotson clearly was the biggest winner among the Penn State players as the only one taken in the first round. A lot of mock drafts had him going in the first round, but most had him somewhere in the 20s. The fact that he went 16th was a surprise. Here's my column on Dotson finally getting the respect he deserved.
* Stout had to be ecstatic Saturday, not only getting picked in the fourth round but also going to a great situation with the Ravens. Baltimore already has the best place-kicker of all time in Justin Tucker, now Stout will have a chance to be a franchise cornerstone as the punter on a team that relies heavily on field position and defense. Hence, he will play a very prominent role.
We've all joked for a long time how crazy it was that Virginia Tech did not have a scholarship for Stout, who transferred to Penn State. Stout has a tremendous leg and was phenomenal on punts and kickoffs for the Lions. He was the first punter drafted, surprising many since San Diego State's Matt Araiza was dubbed the "Punt God" but fell to the sixth round as the third punter picked (Georgia's Jake Camarda was the other, going in the fourth round).
Here's what former Penn State punter Blake Gillikin, now with the Saints, had to say about Stout getting drafted:
PunterU??? #WeAre https://t.co/wsXzKvpdVk
— Blake Gillikin (@blakegillikin) April 30, 2022
SLIGHT DISAPPOINTMENTS
* Ebiketie surely kept hearing Mel Kiper Jr. say his name during the first round Thursday night, and the defensive end was rated as one of the best players available late in the first. Still, he slipped into the second round, although not too far as the No. 38 pick.
Ebiketie certainly would have loved to always be known as a first-round NFL draft pick, which comes with a great deal of respect. But he will still have every opportunity to become a major factor for the Falcons, and going 8-10 picks later than he had hoped won't cost him too much money, either.
The transfer from Temple turned himself into a high NFL draft pick thanks to one great season at Penn State, and the Lions can always use that when going out and recruiting other players from the transfer portal.
* Smith went in the fourth round, probably 15-20 picks later than he would have hoped. Still, where he went seems about right for a player who was inconsistent in his college career, despite having tremendous physical skills.
* Castro-Fields probably hoped to go in the fifth round but slipped to the sixth. As I've written before, I think he'll have a chance to be a good pro because of his solid cover skills.
ABOUT WHERE EXPECTED
* Brisker was seen by pretty much everybody as a mind-second round pick, and that's where he went to the Bears. It wouldn't be a surprise if he has as good of a pro career as anyone else who was drafted.
DROPPED BUT STILL DRAFTED
Luketa's stock was thought to have been on the rise thanks to pre-draft workouts, and some believed he might even be able to sneak into the fourth round. He was rated the 165th-best prospect and projected for the fifth round by NFL Mock Draft Database, but he slipped to the end of the draft at No. 256 overall.
Luketa is an interesting player because of his versatility, and it's easy to root for him because he's a hard worker and team player. But there were holes in his game in college -- he sometimes took bad routes and wasn't always a sure tackler -- and that probably hurt him in the eyes of some scouts.
He's talented enough, however, to wind up being a bargain from so late in the draft.
FREE AGENTS
The following undrafted players agreed to free agent deals Saturday
* OL Eric Wilson, Saints
* S Drew Hartlaub, Panthers
* LB Ellis Brooks, Packers
* DT Derrick Tangelo, Falcons
* RB John Lovett, Panthers
* WR Irv Charles (transferred to IUP), Jets
