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Tennessee Titans select Penn State defensive tackle Austin Johnson
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It took a little longer than some expected, but there’s finally a B1G player off the board on Day 2.
The Tennessee Titans took Penn State defensive tackle Austin Johnson with the No. 43 pick overall.
The second-team All-B1G selection was one of the dominant forces on a Penn State defensive line that racked up the most tackles for loss out of any unit in the country. Johnson had 15 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks as a junior.
Austin Johnson had the third-best run defense grade (+36.9) among interior defenders in the NFL Draft
— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 30, 2016
Johnson is the first Penn State player off the board, and he’s the fifth Lion defensive tackle to be drafted in the last five years. He was the second B1G player to be selected by the Titans. On Thursday night, they traded from No. 15 to No. 8 to select Michigan State offensive tackle Jack Conklin.
As a possible 3-4 nose tackle or a 4-3 defensive tackle, Johnson’s versatility could help him crack the rotation for a team that needed help on the defensive line.
Johnson is the first of several Lions that could come off the board on Friday. Christian Hackenberg and fellow defensive lineman Carl Nassib could both have NFL homes by the time the night is over.
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.