GMEN HQ
FanSided

NY Giants coach Joe Judge scouting Penn State Football’s pro day

By Matt Lombardo

Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Micah Parsons (11) celebrates after sacking the Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan (not pictured) in the second half at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Micah Parsons (11) celebrates after sacking the Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan (not pictured) in the second half at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

NY Giants head coach Joe Judge is one of two NFL head coaches in Happy Valley Thursday for Penn State Football’s pro day workouts.

Judge, and Mike Tomlin are the only head coaches in attendance, but Big Ten Network reports that 31 teams are on-hand to see seven NFL Draft eligible Nittany Lions.

Former Penn State Football All-American inside linebacker Micah Parsons could be an ideal target for the NY Giants with the No. 11 overall pick, filling the void of an immediate starter alongside veteran captain Blake Martinez or perhaps bolstering New York’s pass-rush off the edge.

A former five-star recruit, and the No. 1 defensive end in his recruiting cycle, Penn State coach James Franklin and staff immediately moved him defensive end to linebacker, where he became one of the most dominant players at the position in college football.

In two seasons as the centerpiece of the Nittany Lions’ defense, Parsons produced 6.5 sacks, 191 total tackles, six forced fumbles, and five breakups, while developing into a dominant sideline-to-sideline coverage linebacker in addition to prolific downhill pass-rusher.

In addition to Parsons, Jayson Oweh is surging up boards for teams across the NFL due to his athleticism and could be a target for the Giants to bolster what has been a mediocre pass-rush presence off the edge.

Oweh posted a 134-inch broad jump, which is two inches further than 2020 No. 8 overall pick Isaiah Simmons.

If the NY Giants are aiming to move on from Evan Engram either at some point this offseason or have no sights on signing him long-term, tight end Pat Freiermuth is a prolific pass-catcher, who has drawn some comparisons to Rob Gronkowski and currently projected to be a late-first or early second-round pick.

Feiermuth caught 92 passes for 1,185 yards and 16 touchdowns across two-plus seasons at Penn State.

Regardless of who Judge might be targeting, it says something about the organization’s thoughts about Penn State’s prospects given that teams are only allowed to send three representatives to each campus’ pro day, so Judge being in Central Pennsylvania bears watching ahead of the NFL Draft next month.

Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.

Home/NY Giants Draft