4 prospects the Jets may have been eyeing at Penn State Pro Day

As the pre-draft process rolls on, college football programs are holding their Pro Days, sort of a mini NFL Scouting Combine for their own players and prospects as we inch closer to the NFL Draft.

Penn State, a program that routinely pumps out NFL prospects, held its Pro Day on Wednesday, and the New York Jets were, of course, present.

Director of College Scouting, Jason Mandolesi, was in attendance for the Nittany Lions, according to NFL reporter Matt Lombardo, and there were surely a handful of prospects he was keeping his eye on.

Penn State prospects the Jets are likely keeping their eye on

IOL Olaivavega Ioane

Penn State's best prospect in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft is easily guard Olaivavega Ioane. He's squarely in play for the Jets with the No. 16 overall pick as a plug-and-play starter on the offensive line.

In 11 games this past season, the Nittany Lion allowed zero sacks and QB hits, committed only one penalty, and gave up only four pressures. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 13th-best guard in college football in 2025.

If the Jets feel the need to address the offensive line in the first round for the third consecutive year, Ioane is certainly the way to go. Drafting him could push center Josh Myers to the bench, and move either Dylan Parham or Joe Tippmann to center, putting New York's five best offensive linemen on the field at the same time.

QB Drew Allar

Of all the Penn State prospects the Jets could target in the 2026 NFL Draft, Drew Allar has to be the most polarizing. Physically, he has all the traits you could want in a quarterback. He's 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, super athletic, and has a cannon for an arm. But his play over the last few seasons has left a lot to be desired.

Through six games in 2025, Allar completed 64.8% of his passes for 1,100 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions, before he went down with a fractured ankle. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 144th-best quarterback out of 302 qualified passers, despite his limited sample size.

His traits will surely get him drafted. You'll likely see comparisons to Josh Allen in the weeks leading up to the NFL Draft, but Allen is the anomaly, not the norm. The Jets could take a dart throw on him in Day 3 of the draft and have him serve as a developmental project, but expecting him to be a franchise quarterback could get a general manager fired.

RB Nick Singleton

Speaking of later round dart throws, Penn State running back Nick Singleton, who suffered a fracture in his foot at the 2026 Senior Bowl and did not participate in the NFL Combine or his Pro Day, has a top-30 visit with the Jets this upcoming weekend, per Lombardo.

Singleton and Kaytron Allen made up the Nittany Lions' star running back duo over the last few seasons and were a major reason why Penn State made such a deep run in the 2024 College Football Playoff. Over his career, Singleton totaled 4,448 scrimmage yards and 54 touchdowns.

Running back isn't necessarily a need for the Jets. They're working on an extension for running back Breece Hall and have decent options behind him in Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. But if there are concerns about Allen's surgically repaired knee, the addition of Singleton would make sense for New York.

S Zakee Wheatley

One of the major needs for the Jets entering the 2026 NFL Draft is the safety position. Sure, they added Minkah Fitzpatrick, but if his comments are to be taken seriously, he'll primarily be playing nickel cornerback, and New York can't rely on only Andre Cisco, Dane Belton, and Malachi Moore as their only other options.

Enter Wheatley, a senior safety prospect who can do a little bit of everything on the back end. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 26th-best safety in college football last season. In five years at Penn State, the Crofton, Maryland native racked up 222 tackles, hauled in six interceptions and broke up six passes.

Wheatley is a player worthy of taking a chance on early in Day 3 of the draft. His experience could make him a solid addition to the backend of the Jets' defense, and he has been lauded for his instincts and nose for the football.