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Buccaneers pick Penn State's Donovan Smith

Offensive tackle Donovan Smith became the first Penn State player to be selected in the 2015 NFL draft Friday night when he was made the second-round pick (No. 34 overall) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Donovan Smith (Penn State) and Sharon Thomas and Kim Denise Smith arrive on the gold carpet before the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. (Dennis Wierzbicki/USA Today)
Donovan Smith (Penn State) and Sharon Thomas and Kim Denise Smith arrive on the gold carpet before the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. (Dennis Wierzbicki/USA Today)Read more

Offensive tackle Donovan Smith became the first Penn State player to be selected in the 2015 NFL draft Friday night when he was made the second-round pick (No. 34 overall) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The 6-foot-51/2, 338-pound Smith left the Nittany Lions with one year of eligibility remaining and rose steadily up the rankings after the NFL combine to become the highest-drafted Lion since Jared Odrick went No. 28 to Miami in 2010.

"Unbelievable moment!!" Smith said on Twitter. "Still can't believe it."

Later, Smith told NFL Network that visiting the Tampa Bay headquarters "was definitely one of the best visits I had. Just being around the facility, I felt right at home, so it's just a blessing."

Smith also said he's up to the challenge of protecting quarterback Jameis Winston, the No. 1 overall pick selected by the Bucs.

"Me and Jameis, that's all I've got to say," he said. "We're going to the top. We've got to.

"I'm ready for it. I'm up for the challenge. We're all going to push each other, and we're going to win a Super Bowl."

Smith, of Owings Mills, Md., started 31 of 37 games in his career at Penn State and earned a berth in the Senior Bowl at the end of the 2014 season. In his three seasons with the Nittany Lions, he blocked for two of the three career passing yardage leaders - Matt McGloin and Christian Hackenberg.

"We are thrilled for Donovan to make this next step in his football career," Penn State coach James Franklin said.