The Philadelphia Eagles have shown interest in Penn State safety and 2026 NFL draft prospect Zakee Wheatley.
Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley congratulates Elliot Washington II after a fored fumble during the first day of spring practice on March 25, 2025. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.comThe Eagles were well-represented at the Senior Bowl, where 100-plus of the top prospects in the 2026 class competed in front of NFL coaches and scouts.
PennLive was in Mobile, Ala., too, watching all three days of practice and interviewing many of those prospects. Over the next couple of weeks, we’re rolling out a series of stories on Senior Bowl standouts who would make sense for the Eagles in the 2026 NFL draft. The Eagles will likely be targeting a safety in the draft whether or not they bring back free agent Reed Blankenship. So it makes sense that the Eagles showed interest in Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley at the Senior Bowl, a source told PennLive. Wheatley is one of the top safeties in the draft. Ohio State’s Caleb Downs is a top-10 pick. But behind him, Wheatley is in a cluster of players, including Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman and LSU’s A.J. Haulcy, who could be the second safety off the board. Wheatley put himself in that second or third-round conversation after back-to-back impressive seasons at Penn State and a standout performance at the Senior Bowl. UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava runs as Penn State linebacker Dominic DeLuca and safety Zakee Wheatley defend during the fourth quarter on Oct. 4, 2025. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.comWheatley broke out in a big way in 2024. He racked up 96 tackles and was named the Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals before Penn State fell a few points short to Notre Dame in the semis. After that strong first year as a full-time starter, Wheatley could have left for the 2025 NFL draft. He also could have transferred. “I had a chance to leave and hop in the portal. We all know how crazy the portal is,” Wheatley told PennLive. “But I never did that. I had my loyalty to Penn State ... and I wouldn’t go back and change that for anything.” Wheatley’s decision paid off. Even though Penn State’s season nosedived, the Maryland native played well. Wheatley recorded 74 tackles and posted a 85.9Now, after being named the National team’s safety of the week at the Senior Bowl, Wheatley has a chance to continue bolstering his draft stock. The NFL Scouting Combine is coming up in a couple of weeks, followed by Penn State’s pro day in March and private team visits after that. Don’t be surprised if Wheatley takes a top-30 visit to the Eagles, even if Blankenship is brought back. It might not make sense for the Eagles to roll with a rookie starter next to second-year Andrew Mukuba in what could be defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s final season. Signing Blankenship to a short-term deal would make sense if the money is right. But even if that happens, the Eagles will be planning for the future — a future Wheatley could very much be a part of.Johnny covers the Philadelphia Eagles and Penn State football for PennLive. He has covered college football and Penn State professionally since 2016, with stops at the Centre Daily Times and Pittsburgh...
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