As the NFL draft gets going soon, several Penn State players will find out what their future looks like. One of those players is a rising star from Penn State, whose performances have caught the attention of scouts and analysts around the country.
Todd McShay, a well-respected figure in the football space, recently said just how highly some evaluators view the Penn State standout compared to other elite prospects in college football.
While projecting future NFL talent is always complicated, especially in an era when players can transfer or leave school early, McShay explained that some talent evaluators already have a clear idea of who they believe the top prospects are across the sport. Olaivavega Ioane is on that list
“If everyone in the league went on to stay true, which we know won’t happen, it would be Fernando Mendoza one, and then some order of Olaivavega Ioane, Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, and Jeremiyah Love rounding out the top five,” McShay said. “It’s not going to happen, but those are the conversations.”
The comment shows how highly scouts regard some of the most talented players currently coming out of the college level. Even though draft boards shift as the next few weeks unfold and players show more, right now often give insight into how teams are beginning to view certain prospects.
For Penn State, having a player mentioned in conversations among the top prospects in the country shows the program’s ability to develop elite talent. The Nittany Lions have consistently produced NFL-caliber players over the past many decades.
The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt recently linked him to the New York Jets at No. 16.
“This ties to the Simpson/Vera-Tucker question. It seems the Jets will let them hit free agency, though that doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t try to re-sign one of them. Vera-Tucker is the better player who has dealt with a lot of injuries; it will be interesting to see what his market looks like.
“If the Jets opt to let both veterans leave, then it makes sense to consider targeting this class’ best interior offensive-line prospect if the Jets don’t opt to sign someone else ahead of time,” he wrote.