After former Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. went with the first pick of the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, three more PSU products got selected Friday night.
Penn State tight end Brenton Strange (Jaguars) and center Juice Scruggs (Texans) went with back-to-back picks in the second round, and safety Ji’Ayir Brown went in the third round to the 49ers.
Penn State’s tight ends coach Ty Howle, offensive line coach Phil Trautwein and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter each weighed in on their guys.
BRENTON ‘THE COMPLETE PACKAGE’ STRANGE
“It has been a privilege for me to coach a tremendous player, but more importantly, a tremendous person in Brenton Strange. I am incredibly excited for this opportunity he is getting with the Jacksonville Jaguares.
Brenton is the complete package as a tight end with his ability to block, run routes and make plays in the passing game and protect. He invested an incredible amount of time and effort into becoming a better player every day and made an impact on every member of our tight end room and their development. I am looking forward to following his NFL career” — Ty Howle.
So proud of @BrentonStrange The @Jaguars are getting a great one. Thankful to coach Brenton and be a part of his journey! Excited for his future! #ACES #WeAre pic.twitter.com/DC74wj2bDS
— Ty Howle (@CoachTHowle) April 29, 2023
‘CAPTAIN’ JUICE SCRUGGS
“Congratulations to Juice on having this dream come true. He is going to be a tremendous asset to the Houston Texans organization. Juice was a great leader for our offensive line and our football team, hence why he was a team captain this past season. He became a very good vocal leader but what impressed me the most was his ability to lead by example and take on a professional approach to his preparation. He did such a great job of making sure our unit was in sync at all times and it was pivotal to our offense’s success this year. I believe he is going to be a great offensive lineman in the NFL and I can’t wait to see him get to work.” — Phil Trautwein
https://twitter.com/CoachTrautFB/status/1652131627684724740?s=20
JI’AYIR BROWN: ‘INFECTIOUS ENERGY’
“I am so proud for Ji’Ayir earning this chance to continue his dream of playing in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers are getting a special player who will bring infectious energy and leadership to their organization. I do not know if I have been around a person like him before. Tig is a guy who just loves playing the game of football and you can see that with the passion he brought into our building each day. The way he goes about his business is at an extremely professional level. He is ready for this next opportunity, and I wish him the best in his NFL career.” — Anthony Poindexter
Doesn’t get any better than Tig. ❤️🦁 pic.twitter.com/ndQp5B4g5B
— Anthony Poindexter (@Coachpoindexter) April 29, 2023
