Brenton Strange taken in second round of NFL Draft, becoming 2nd Nittany Lion to go

Penn State had its second player go in the 2023 NFL Draft Friday night.

Nittany Lion tight end Brenton Strange was taken in the second round by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 61 overall pick.

Strange is the third Penn State tight end to get selected since the 2018 NFL Draft, joining Pat Freiermuth and Mike Gesicki.

He measured in at 6-foot-4-inches tall and 253 pounds at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.

Strange had eligibility remaining but chose to leave Penn State after his fourth season when he was tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns with five while being the team’s most complete tight end on the roster.

He compiled 755 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns over his career, featuring more prominently in the 2022 season as a red zone threat for starting quarterback Sean Clifford. The strides he made as a blocker played a role in the team’s improved running game during his final year on campus.

His 32 receptions for 362 yards and five touchdowns earned him All-Big Ten third team honors by the coaches and honorable mention by the media.

Strange’s best game came against Auburn when he caught six passes for 80 yards — leading the team in both categories — and helped running back Nick Singleton have a big game on the ground with his blocking. He created many of those yards, with 59 of them coming after the catch in the contest.