Penn State Football: Where will Nittany Lions land in 2020 NFL Draft?

The first Nittany Lion off the board will be defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos. The Vikings will select him with the 25th overall pick, making him the first Penn State defensive lineman drafted in the first round since the Dolphins selected defensive tackle Jared Odrick with the 28th pick overall in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Gross-Matos is a naturally talented edge rusher. He finished his career as a Nittany Lion with 111 tackles, 36 of which were tackles for loss and 18.5 sacks. In each of the last two seasons, he was named first team All-Big Ten. Gross-Matos is great at getting around the edge or using his power to push offensive linemen back into the opposing backfield. He also has endured two tragedies, events that have shaped his life and his career in football.

Gross-Matos decided to leave school a year early and has room to grow even more. The Vikings still are likely to lose defensive end Everson Griffen in free agency. If they do lose him, Gross-Matos could hit the field early in his spot opposite two-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter.

Minnesota has two picks in the first round and defensive end should be one of their primary targets with those picks.

Projection: Late-first round (No. 25 overall to Vikings)