The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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40 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Mayock noted "he's almost the same guy" as Linval Joseph, a Giants second- round pick in 2010 that has been named to the last two Pro Bowls while playing for the Minnesota Vikings. Fellow tackle Justin Jones came off the board at No. 84 to the Los Angeles Char- gers, giving the Pack a school-record-tying three top-100 choices and fans a reason to keep cheering for the West Coast squad after legendary quarterback Philip Rivers retires. "Every tape you put on, he does some stuff that is pretty special," Mayock said. "The problem is it isn't all the time. When you take him in the third round what you're doing is betting on him being a more con- sistent player at the next level. "You put the Notre Dame tape on, and he got hurt after 12 plays, but against that Notre Dame offensive line [that had two top-10 picks] he flashed two or three times in 12 plays, so you want to buy into him." The last of the quartet to hear his name called was Kentavius Street, the versatile front-line defender who played both end and tackle at NC State. Despite tearing his ACL in a private pre-draft workout with the Giants, he was still tabbed in the fourth round, 128th overall. "A lot of people thought he was going to drop down to the sixth or seventh round be- cause he'll probably need a redshirt year," Mayock explained. "This shows the value. … The reason his value is this high is in- side-out versatility. Outside on first down, [but can later] kick inside and be too quick for guards. "Out of this whole entire draft class, he might be the first guy off the bus." Versatility Fills Out The Class The four defensive linemen did not go in four consecutive picks. Early entrant Hines, fresh off a 1,000-yard rushing season as a first-year college running back, sand- wiched himself between Jones and Street to break the streak. That gave the Pack its first pair of running back draftees in back-to- back years since 1997-98, producing just one (Andre Brown in 2009) in between. Hines clocked the fastest 40-yard dash among running backs at the NFL Combine (4.38) and did not last long on day three, hearing his named called by the Indianapo- lis Colts with the fourth pick of the fourth round, 104th overall. Much like it was in college, versatility is expected to be the centerpiece of the 5-8, 198-pound Hines' game in the pros. Kiper compared him to Darren Sproles, who checks in at 5-6 and 190 pounds and is about to enter his 13th year in the league with more than 19,000 all-purpose yards and 61 touchdowns. "This kid is going to fit in perfectly for all the different kind of formations and the way they want to attack you on offense," ESPN counterpart Louis Riddick added. "He does have that kind of explosiveness … that elite speed and to be able to have the versatility to move him around, not just at running back but put him in the slot," Colts head coach Frank Reich confirmed Riddick's thinking. "We'll do a lot of different things offen- sively to get him the ball in open field and use that elite speed." Richardson plays up front, but possess similar NFL versatility, according to his new boss, Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell, who tabbed him in round four with the 129th pick. Caldwell noted Richardson will start off at right tackle, but he could play wherever needed. "He can play right tackle, and we think he might have some guard flexibility to him and some left tackle flex, too," Caldwell said. "… We actually had him [graded] a little higher [than the fourth round]." The most versatile piece coming out of NC State, Samuels, was the last to be se- lected. Announced as a running back by the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was picked 165th overall in the fifth round. His lack of a true position may have pushed him down draft boards, but that didn't stop him from being one of the most productive players in ACC history. SouthernPigskin.com correctly pointed Like linemate Bradley Chubb, B.J. Hill was an unranked three-star prospect according to Rivals. com, but he developed into a third-round pick during his time in Raleigh. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Undrafted NCSU Players Signed By NFL Clubs Pos. Name Team OL Tony Adams Jacksonville S Shawn Boone Houston TE Cole Cook Atlanta LB Jerod Fernandez Washington LB Airius Moore Arizona