The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1113082
48 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY RYAN TICE L ed by first-round pick Garrett Bradbury, NC State's 2019 NFL Draft — which featured four total selections, tied for third most in the ACC — was historic for a number of reasons: • Bradbury and the Denver Broncos' Brad- ley Chubb (the No. 5 overall selection last year) became the program's second occur- rence of first-round picks in back-to-back years, joining Ted Brown and Jim Ritcher in 1979-80. Prior to the latest duo, the Wolfpack had not produced a first-round choice since 2006. • NC State is one of just nine programs to produce first-round choices in each of the last two seasons. • It combined with last year's school-re- cord seven draftees to give the Pack 11 selec- tions in the last two cycles, which tied Miami for the lead among ACC schools and set a school record for such a time period. • Over the past four years, NC State has now seen 17 former players drafted, another school record and a total that ranks third in the ACC, behind only Clemson (24) and Mi- ami (22). • The four-year total separated the Pack from the other three ACC programs in the state by a significant margin. Duke, Wake Forest and North Carolina combined for just 15 picks over the same time frame. The gap widens even more for top-100 picks during that span: NC State has eight (and it would be 10 if that was broadened to top-104 selections) compared to four by the other three programs. Perhaps most impressively, only six of the Pack's last 17 draftees were rated higher than three-star recruits by Rivals.com, and just three were listed as top-100 prospects, show- ing the program's incredible developmental ability. Coming out of high school, the future first-rounders were listed as a two-star tight end (Bradbury) and three-star defensive end (Chubb) — and neither was ranked within their home state, despite the website listing the top 30 prospects in North Carolina (Brad- bury) and going 75 deep in Georgia (Chubb). Bradbury Bolsters Vikings' Line Drafting an offensive lineman — espe- cially an interior blocker — with a first-round pick is never a sexy move, but it's hard to find much criticism about the Minnesota Vikings selecting Bradbury with the 18th overall pick. He became the first Pack offensive lineman to be selected in the draft's opening stanza since 1980 — when Ritcher, also a center, was drafted 16th by the Buffalo Bills before a 16-year career — and tied for the highest-drafted center from any- where since 2011. Mike Pouncey (No. 15 in 2011) is the only cen- ter taken higher than Bradbury since 2000. The analysts commenting live on draft broadcasts unanimously praised the choice of the reigning winner of the Rimington Trophy, which is annually given to the nation's top center. ANOTHER PACK OF PICKS With A Quartet Of Selections, NC State Continues Its NFL Draft Success NC State In The 2019 NFL Draft Rd. Overall Pick Name Pos. Team 1 18 Garrett Bradbury C Minnesota Vikings 3 72 Germaine Pratt LB Cincinnati Bengals 4 104 Ryan Finley QB Cincinnati Bengals 6 206 Kelvin Harmon WR Washington Redskins Undrafted free agent signings: DT Eurndraus Bryant (Los Angeles Chargers), OL Tyler Jones (New York Jets), WR Stephen Louis (Hous - ton Texans), WR Jakobi Meyers (New England Patriots), OL Terronne Prescod (New York Giants) and S Dexter Wright (Houston Texans) Garrett Bradbury came off the board at No. 18 overall to the Minnesota Vikings, tying for the highest-drafted center since 2011. PHOTO COURTESY MINNESOTA VIKINGS