Penn State guard Vega Ioane goes to Baltimore in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft

Penn State football guard Vega Ioane is officially off the board during Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft. The former Nittany Lion is now a Raven. Baltimore took him with the No. 14 overall selection on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.

Ioane is the top guard in this year’s draft class, according to multiple media player evaluators. The Washington native started 32 games at Penn State, all at left guard. A second-team All-Big Ten pick in 2024, Ioane was a second-team All-American and second-team all-conference selection (coaches) and first team (media) in 2025 after allowing zero sacks and just two pressures, per PFF.

“Ioane both looks the part and plays the part,” Dane Brugler writes in his ‘The Beast’ draft guide for The Athletic. “In pass protection, he is quick out of his stance and sports a stout base and commanding hands to anchor his spot. As a run blocker, he generates explosive power from his core to dig out defenders on drive/down blocks, flashing the competitive temperament to finish. He doesn’t move any faster than his size would suggest, but he stays efficient with his footwork and flexibility to be effective on movement-based blocks (not scheme-dependent).

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“Ioane is a thick, sturdy blocker who consistently holds his ground in pass protection and covers up defenders in the run game. Built in the mold of Steve Avila, he projects as a long-term NFL starter at either guard spot.”

Ioane is the first Nittany Lions guard to be drafted since Juice Scruggs in 2023. He is the first to go in the first round since Mike Munchak and Sean Farrell both went on day one during the 1982 NFL Draft. And, he is the first interior offensive lineman to go in round one since center Jeff Hartings in 1996.

“It’s a feeling that I know I put a lot of work into it, knowing that it’s all come together and all connecting things like that,” Ioane told reporters after Pro Day in April, per Onward State. “Knowing that I put my best foot forward to put myself in a position like that, but definitely feels good.

“It was definitely a learning process. Like I said, my four years here, definitely learning a lot of things, adding to my tool box. But having a coach like [Phil] Trautwein, he taught me a lot as a player. Everything on the field happened from what I did off the field.”

Ioane will be the only Round 1 selection from Penn State, barring a major surprise. The Lions have had a first round selection in four of the last five drafts.