NC State football pro day results vs. NFL Draft combine

NC State football held its annual pro day March28. A wide range of Wolfpack players could be selected in the NFL Draft , April 27-29 in Kansas City. The chance to work out in front of NFL scouts was a crucial opportunity for many of the draft hopefuls.

Here is a rundown of the results for the former NC State football players and how they compared to those who participated at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February.

NC State linebackers among day’s headliners

According to a report from Pro Football News’ Tony Pauline, former NC State linebacker Isaiah Moore was between 4.62 and 4.68 seconds in the 40-yard dash. His short shuttle range was 4.38 to 4.44 seconds, and his three-cone was clocked as fast as 7.04 seconds.

NFL Draft Diamonds added that Moore had a 30-inch vertical and did a 9-foot-10 standing broad jump.

Pauline noted that Moore is considered a “mid-Day 3 pick” with the Giants, Lions, Colts and Patriots all known to be high on the rare five-year starter for NC State.

Former NC State all-conference linebacker Drake Thomas’ agency MGC Sports released his results. According to his representatives, Thomas clocked 4.60 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 4.28 seconds in the shuttle and 7.10 seconds in the 3-cone. He also had a 36.5-inch vertical leap and did 9-foot-8 on the broad jump. Thomas confirmed his 18 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds.

NFL Draft Diamonds reported Thomas’ 40-yard dashes were 4.67 and 4.69 seconds.

Only three linebackers at the NFL Combine had a better vertical than what Thomas showcased. His shuttle time would have been second fastest among the six who ran in Indianapolis. Moore’s shuttle, using his best reported time, would have been tied for third best.

Of the 16 linebackers who ran the 40-yard dash, only five failed to break 4.6, highlighting the speed at the position. The broad jumps by Moore and Thomas would have topped 3 of the 15 linebackers who completed attempts at the combine, while Moore’s vertical would have been the lowest.

Only five linebackers did the 3-cone, and both Thomas and Moore had times that would have been third fastest. Thomas admitted he wanted to do better on the bench press. Just two of the 10 who did the routine at the combine did less. Moore, the lone NC State positional player to be invited to the combine, was third best among that group with 26 reps in Indianapolis.

Chandler Zavala may have been the day’s standout

Pauline’s sources told him that Chandler Zavala, whose stock appears to be on the rise according to various NFL mock drafts and top 100 lists, was timed at 5.01 seconds in the 40-yard dash and 7.56 seconds in the three-cone. He also had 30 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press and registered a 32.5-inch vertical leap.

Of the 40 offensive linemen at the NFL Draft combine, Zavala’s vertical would have been tied for third best. There were 36 who ran the 40-yard dash, and only four ran faster than Zavala’s mark.

Twenty-two linemen completed the 3-cone, and only six did it faster than Zavala. Among the 25 that did the bench press, Zavala would have tied for the fifth most.

Zavala also reportedly ran the shuttle in 4.53 seconds, which was faster than all but two of the 25 who ran in Indy. His 3-cone time of 7.58 seconds would have ranked seventh among 22 who did that at the combine.

Chandler Zavala is a OG prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.95 RAS out of a possible 10.00 after his pro day. This ranked 8 out of 1382 OG from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/zueW27yJTr #RAS pic.twitter.com/d9jvhIu60z

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 31, 2023

Thayer Thomas showcases athleticism

Former NC State wide receiver/punt returner Thayer Thomas’ representatives, MGC Sports, released his testing results, clocking Thomas at 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 3.95 seconds in the shuttle and 6.89 seconds in the 3-cone. Thomas also had a 37-inch vertical and 10-foot standing broad jump. He did 15 reps at 185 pounds on the bench press.

NFL Draft Diamonds had Thomas’ 40-times in a range of 4.48 and 4.58 seconds.

There were 43 wideouts who ran the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. The 4.48 time for Thomas would have tied former North Carolina star Josh Downs for 20th best. If you average his 40 range to 4.53 seconds, Thomas would have tied for 26th.

The shuttle was an elite time for Thomas though, second best among the 19 who tried at the combine. Thomas would have joined Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the only to go under 4.0 seconds.

Thomas’ 3-cone time would have also tied for third best among 14 wideouts in Indianapolis, and his vertical among 40 who tried at the combine would have tied for 16th.

Thirteen wide receivers did the bench press, and Thomas’ 15 would have been right in line with half the group. Seven wideouts had reps between 13-16 in Indianapolis.

Cory Durden impresses with vertical

According to NFL Draft Diamonds, former NC State all-conference defensive tackle Cory Durden was timed at 5.31 and 5.32 seconds in the 40-yard dash and also had a 31-inch vertical leap.

Of the 13 defensive tackles who registered a vertical at the combine, Durden would have tied for the third best. On the opposite end, Durden’s 40 times would have been third slowest among the 15 times at the position in Indianapolis.