Former Penn State football offensive lineman Juice Scruggs taken in 2023 NFL Draft

A stalwart on Penn State’s offensive line has heard his name called in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Juice Scruggs was selected by the Houston Texans in the second round with the No. 62 overall pick Saturday.

Scruggs was a consistent contributor at center for the Nittany Lions and was voted a team captain for the 2022 season.

He’s the third player to hear his name called in this year’s draft so far, joining Joey Porter Jr. and Brenton Strange.

Scruggs went to Indianapolis in the pre-draft process to take part in the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine where he measured in at 6-foot-3, 301 pounds.

His contributions on the offensive line were evident as a blocker but he also made an impact with his communication, making the calls for the offensive line and pointing out potential blitzers and defensive adjustments.

Scruggs started 26 games over the last two seasons, including the team’s win over Utah in the Rose Bowl to cap off his career. While the offensive line play had been up and down over Penn State head coach James Franklin’s tenure, there was a clear improvement this season and Scruggs’ consistency was a key part of that.

He has the versatility to play guard or center in the NFL despite spending almost all of his time at center at Penn State.

Scruggs suffered a setback in 2019 when he was in a car accident that resulted in a fractured vertebra among other injuries. He worked his way back to become a high-level starter for the Nittany Lions, ultimately earning All-Big Ten honors in 2021 (honorable mention by the coaches and media) and 2022 (third team by the coaches and honorable mention by the media).