Penn State is expected to be one of the top teams in the NFL Draft cycle regarding players who will be selected from a university once again this time around. At the top of that list is Olaivavega Ioane, an offensive lineman who many view as arguably the best prospect in this entire class, no matter the position.
In a recent projection for the 2026 NFL Draft, ESPN’s Matt Miller had the Carolina Panthers selecting Ioane, but with the No. 19 pick. Falling to the No. 19 pick would come as a bit of a surprise as things stand right now.
“The Panthers have two highly paid guards in Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt, but they will be entering their age-29 and age-30 seasons, respectively. So there's a future need there, plus an immediate need at center.
“Ioane played left guard, center and right guard in college and has the power to be an effective run blocker at any position,” he wrote. “Ioane sought to play with better movement and conditioning in 2025, and his stock soared because of it.”
Speaking at Penn State’s Pro Day, Ioane had a lot of positive things to say, and it’s part of the reason why a team like the Panthers would take him.
“It feels good,” Ioane said. “It's a feeling that I know I put a lot of work into it, knowing that it's all coming together, all connecting, things like that. But knowing that I put my best foot forward to put myself in a position like that, it definitely feels good.” “My four years here, the biggest adversity I've ever faced, I was 2,000 miles away from home, took a chance on being here growing up as a man,” Ioane said. “It's exactly what Penn State did for me. Came to campus as a kid, left as a man.”
While I doubt that the Panthers will have a chance to take him, I also don’t know if Carolina would be making a wise decision by doing so anyway. Ioane is incredible, but it feels like the Panthers need something else than another guard.