NFL Draft Combine invites three from NC State football
NFL Draft Combine invites were officially announced Wednesday, and three NC State football players are headed to Indianapolis for the showcase event, held March 1-7.
They are offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu, running back Zonovan Knight and punter Trenton Gill.
Ekwonu is the headliner of the three. One betting site has Ekwonu as the fourth odds-on choice to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, behind Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal and Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux.
The only other time in school history that a player was drafted first overall by the NFL was defensive end Mario Williams in 2006. Williams would play 11 years in the league and had 97.5 career sacks while being a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro.
In 2021, Ekwonu became just the third unanimous consensus first-team All-American at NC State, joining former center Jim Ritcher in 1979 and defensive end Bradley Chubb in 2017. Ritcher’s No. 51 is retired from NC State football, and he was an inaugural member of the school’s Hall of Fame.
Chubb’s No. 9 is also permanently honored, and he is currently a star in the NFL with the Denver Broncos.
Ekwonu was also one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy, an honor given to the nation’s top lineman. He was also the recipient of the ACC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy, the first winner from NC State football since Ritcher in 1979.
Ekwonu finished the regular season with 67 pancake blocks and 18 knockdowns, and was a two-time ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week. The 6-4, 320-pounder allowed just two sacks in 829 snaps.
Knight was a first-team All-ACC selection as a specialist. He returned kickoffs for touchdowns against both Wake Forest and Syracuse, and finished the year with an average of 34.4 yards on his 16 returns. That is the best mark of any Power Five returner. Knight’s career kickoff return average of 35.2 yards is also a new school record.
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Knight was also honorable mention All-ACC as a running back after carrying 140 times for 753 yards and three scores, and making 21 receptions for 156 yards. He finished his career with 419 rushes for 2,286, averaging a NC State football record of 5.45 yards per rush, edging out the mark held by Roland Hooks since 1974.
Knight’s 3,546 career all-purpose yards are the 10th most at NC State.
Gill, who will receive his master’s in the spring, was also first-team All-ACC after pinning 30 punts inside the 20, nine more than any other kicker in the ACC. The former walk-on averaged 44.4 yards on his 65 attempts during the season.
Gill’s career average of 45.8 yards per punt is an NC State football record, breaking Johnny Evans’ mark of 44.0 yards that has stood since 1977.
Among the noteworthy omissions from the NFL Draft Combine invite list were running back Ricky Person Jr., who like Knight, Ekwonu and Gill decided to pass up remaining eligibility to enter the draft, receiver Emeka Emezie and defensive end Daniel Joseph.
Emezie is NC State’s all-time leader in receptions and recently participated in the Shrine Bowl, where he reportedly turned in some strong practices.
Joseph was the No. 4 pick in last year’s CFL Draft and had 11.5 sacks over the past two seasons after transferring from Penn State.
They will have a chance to prove themselves at NC State’s Pro Day, which is scheduled for March 29.
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