The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1043000
NOVEMBER 2018 ■ 99 WOLFPACK FOOTBALL The Athletic NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler called NC State's trip to Clemson "mandatory viewing for NFL teams." While the Tigers boast a boatload of future pros, particularly across the defensive line, the Wolfpack — one year after setting a school record with seven selections — has its fair share of intrigu- ing NFL Draft prospects as well. Some pundits view sixth-year senior Ryan Finley as the top quarterback available this year. Others may view him as a limited prospect, but everybody is in agreement he is a likely selection dur- ing the seven-round event. In his Oct. 19 mock draft, CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso — one of the experts who has been highest on Finley, dating back to last year — projected the signal-caller to come off the board at No. 18 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars. "Perfect match here," he wrote. "Finley is a super-experienced pocket passer who's played under center and can throw with an- ticipation." CBS Sports listed Finley as the No. 10 overall available prospect and No. 2 on the offensive side of the ball, behind the de- fensive line which accounted for six of the top 10, including the first four. Finley is not alone, though. The outlet listed junior wideout Kelvin Harmon the No. 72 player available in its top 99, which ranked 12th among eligible wideouts. Trapasso viewed Harmon as a first-round pick, mocking him No. 20 to the Dallas Cowboys, noting he has "No. 1 wide receiver written all over him. He has the size, ath- leticism, route-running skills and jump-ball ability to thrive on the outside in the NFL." CBS counterpart Ryan Wilson was not as high on Finley in his Oct. 16 mock draft, not listing him among the three quarterbacks he projected to be taken among the first 32 picks, but he did predict Harmon to be the first wideout selected, going No. 10 to the Detroit Lions. ESPN guru Todd McShay graded Fin- ley as the 21st-best prospect available and second among quarterbacks, trailing only Oregon's Justin Herbert (No. 17). "Finley shows very good touch and antici- patory accuracy, is adept at leading receiv- ers and gets the ball out on time," McShay wrote. "He rolls through progressions quickly, and shows good poise and feel inside the pocket. "His fast eyes going through progressions stand out. He does have to eliminate the two or three questionable decisions each game, but he's on track with just three interceptions this season — and 10 touchdowns." Meanwhile, WalterFootball.com's duo of Charlie Campbell (Oct. 19) and Walter Cherepinsky (Oct. 18) also recently updated their mocks. Both were higher on Harmon than Finley. Campbell projected Harmon to go 33rd overall, the first pick of the second round, while Cherepinsky had Harmon coming off the board at No. 75 overall in the third round. "The 6-2, 218-pounder is a thick, well put together wideout who has some quickness and nice hands, plus runs quality routes," Campbell noted. "He is more of a possessional Z — flanker — re- ceiver for the NFL." Campbell also had Finley being drafted in the second round, No. 38 overall, while Cherepinsky did not have him going within the first three rounds. "Scouts who did advance work for the 2019 NFL Draft were impressed with what they saw from Finley," Campbell wrote. "There is a lot to like about him translating to the NFL. The most important trait for any quarterback is accuracy, which Finley has. "Consistently, he demonstrates good ball placement to complete passes and keep the ball away from the defense. "Finley makes good decisions and shows impressive ball secu- rity. He is adept at avoiding interceptions and rarely makes mis- takes from being overly aggressive. Finley improved his deep-ball passing as a junior and made some beautiful throws downfield." Those are not the only potential draftees from the Pack. Brugler said fifth-year senior linebacker Germaine Pratt looks like "a seasoned veteran who makes play after play," and noted before the Clemson game "Pratt has already produced impressive game tape worthy of day two draft consideration, but his performance in a high-profile matchup like this could move the needle on his draft stock." Brugler also noted center Garrett Bradbury is "one of the most talented interior offensive line prospects in the senior class," while fellow fifth-year senior Tyler Jones "looks like the mid-round ver- sion of former Georgia left tackle Isaiah Wynn [No. 23 overall pick in 2018]." Offensive lineman Terronne Prescod, defensive end Darian Roseboro and wideout Stephen Louis are among the others who could conceivably hear their names called next April — not to mention other possible early entrants like Harmon. — Ryan Tice Junior wideout Kelvin Harmon — who had 35 catches for 547 yards and two scores through six games — has been identified as a potential first-round pick in the NFL Draft by CBS Sports. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Wolfpackers Are Moving Up On Midseason NFL Draft Boards