The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1343401
MARCH/APRIL 2021 ■ 19 TRACKING THE PACK QUOTING THE PACK PHOTO BY ETHAN HYMAN, THE NEWS & OBSERVER/COURTESY ACC MEDIA " He battles with brass knuckles out there. It's really fun to watch him go. He's got that body type that projects well at the next level. … He can really reset the line of scrim- mage with that power that he has, but he also plays with quickness. He's routinely the first man out of his stance, so that helps him just eat up blockers and win gaps. "He didn't necessarily fill up the stat sheet, but I don't think that's a represen- tation of his talent. The motto for NFL teams is 'traits over production.' Produc- tion and stats are great, but teams are going to want guys with traits that project to the next level. "McNeill has that with his body type, with his heavy hands, with the natural power that he offers, the energy that he plays with. More so than if he had a few more sacks, the traits that he really puts on tape, that's what teams are going to like." — NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic on former NC State nose tackle ALIM MCNEILL 2 Is former NC State nose tackle ALIM MCNEILL'S position rank- ing among interior defensive line prospects for the NFL Draft ac- cording to Pro Football Focus (PFF). McNeill also ranks No. 47 overall among all 2021 draft entrants according to PFF. McNeill saw his production increase all three years he was with the Wolfpack. He earned a 71.8 (out of 100) grade according to PFF as a freshman in 2018, which checked in 191st out of 490 Division I interior defenders. His season grade jumped up to 79.4 in 2019, good for 70th out of 502 Division I tackles. In 2020, McNeill ranked third out of 336 Division I interior defenders with a year-long grade of 90.7. "The way that NC State won was amazing. Every week, NC State was winning differently. Whether it was offense one week … then the next week, the defense steps up huge and holds Liberty to 14 points, and then it was special teams another week. Every single week looked dif- ferent. " It goes to the coaching staff, it goes to these players, the grit they have, the determination, the will to just find a way to win. We hear people say that all the time, but this team truly demonstrated that. It showed in this climate of COVID, where we have no clue who's going to be available or what the game is going to look like. They stepped up to the challenge. "I think this was Dave Doeren's best coaching season. It wasn't his most talented team by far, but for him, in this climate, to pull everyone together and show what they were able to do with eight wins and end the regular season on a four-game win streak, was very impressive. If you're an NC State fan, you should be very excited." — College football analyst Eric Mac Lain of ACC Network on NC State's success last season translating to 2021 PHOTO BY ETHAN HYMAN, THE NEWS & OBSERVER/COURTESY ACC MEDIA