Pack Pros: Marquez Valdes-Scantling sealed AFC Championship with clutch catch
It was the final weekend of the NFL’s regular season slate, which means NC State’s Pack Pros were all in action for their respective teams. It included former Wolfpack wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling making a clutch catch to seal the AFC title for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Here’s a look at how the Pack Pros did in their games this weekend — or for the entire season if their team missed the playoffs. (* = made the playoffs)
Center Garrett Bradbury (played at NC State from 2015-18), #56 Minnesota Vikings: Bradbury played 874 offensive snaps this season with the Vikings. He earned an overall PFF grade of 60.9, including a run blocking mark of 65.5.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett (2014-15), #12 Washington Commanders: Brissett appeared in three games for the Commanders this season. He was 18-of-23 passing for 224 yards and three touchdowns. He did not throw an interception and was not sacked with Washington. Brissett logged a passer rating of 146.8 and a QBR of 95.5.
Outside linebacker Bradley Chubb (2014-17), #2 Miami Dolphins: Chubb was a defensive star for the Miami Dolphins this season. He logged a career-best 73 total tackles in 16 games. He had 11 sacks, his best since his rookie season, with a career-most six forced fumbles and two passes defended. Chubb tore his ACL in the Dolphins’ penultimate game of the season.
Punter A.J. Cole III (2015-18), #6 Las Vegas Raiders: Cole earned his third-straight Pro Bowl selection after he logged 75 punts with an average of 50.4 this season. He had a long of 83 yards, a career-best, while Cole placed 34 punts inside the 20-yard line.
Offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (2019-21), #79 Carolina Panthers: Ekwonu played 1,148 snaps on offense for the Panthers this season. He posted an overall grade of 67.4, according to PFF, including an above-average 77.0 pass blocking mark.
Punter Trenton Gill (2018-21), #16 Chicago Bears: Gill logged 67 punts with an average of 46.1 yards this season. He had a long of 76 yards with 18 kicks placed inside the 20-yard line to wrap up his second NFL season.
Defensive lineman B.J. Hill Jr. (2014-17), #92 Cincinnati Bengals: Hill logged 51 total tackles through all 17 games with the Bengals. He logged 4.5 sacks and his first two career interceptions with five passes defended this season.
Running back Nyheim Hines (2015-17), #0 Buffalo Bills: Hines was out for the season with an injury suffered over the offseason.
Safety Tanner Ingle (2018-22), #34 Los Angeles Rams: Ingle is on the Rams’ practice squad.
Defensive tackle Justin Jones (2014-17), #93 Chicago Bears: Jones logged 49 total tackles as he played all 17 games with the Bears this season. The defensive lineman logged a career-best 4.5 sacks and had four passes defended.
Linebacker Vi Jones (2019-21), Seattle Seahawks: Jones was waived off of injured reserve by the Seahawks following an injury settlement.
Running back Zonovan Knight (2019-21), #28 Detroit Lions: Knight was out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. He had one catch for eight yards, and three carries for 13 yards in his two appearances with the Lions this season.
Cornerback Nick McCloud (2016-19, finished at Notre Dame), #44 New York Giants: McCloud played in all 17 games with the Giants, and he logged 28 total tackles. He had three forced fumbles and his first-career interception with two passes defended.
*Defensive tackle T.Y. McGill Jr. (2011-14), #96 San Francisco 49ers: McGill is on the 49ers’ practice squad. San Francisco beat the Detroit Lions 34-31 to advance to the Super Bowl to face two fellow Pack Pros.
*Defensive tackle Alim McNeill (2018-20), #54 Detroit Lions: McNeill made two tackles in the Lions’ 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He had a sack in the second half, which forced a field goal attempt, but the Lions’ fell on the road just one win away from a Super Bowl appearance.
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Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (2016-18), #16 Las Vegas Raiders: Meyers impressed in his first season with the Raiders. He logged 71 receptions for 807 yards with a career-most eight touchdowns. He had a long of 33 yards and was targeted 106 times this season.
*Defensive tackle Larrell Murchison (2018-19), #52 Los Angeles Rams: Murchison played nine total snaps in the Rams’ 24-23 loss to the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card round. He finished the season with 16 total tackles, including seven solo stops.
*Cornerback Derrek Pitts Jr. (2021-22), #38 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Pitts did not play in the Buccaneers’ 31-24 loss to the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round.
Linebacker Germaine Pratt (2014-18), #57 Cincinnati Bengals: Pratt played all 17 games with the Bengals this season. He logged a career-best 118 total tackles with two sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.
Defensive end James Smith-Williams (2016-19), #96 Washington Commanders: Smith-Williams logged 22 total tackles in 13 games with the Commanders this season. He had one sack and 1.5 stuffs with Washington.
Defensive lineman Kentavius Street (2014-17), #75 Atlanta Falcons: Street played for both the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons this season. He had a total of 18 tackles with one sack between his two squads during the 2023 campaign.
Linebacker Drake Thomas (2019-22), #42 Seattle Seahawks: Thomas appeared in seven games with the Seahawks this season. He had three total tackles and was mostly a special teams player. He ended the season on injured reserve.
Wide receiver Thayer Thomas (2017-22), #89 Minnesota Vikings: Thomas is on the Vikings’ practice squad.
*Offensive guard Joe Thuney (2012-15), #62 Kansas City Chiefs: Thuney was ruled out of the Chiefs’ 17-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens prior to the contest with a pectoral injury. He and the Chiefs qualified for their second straight Super Bowl appearance.
*Wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (2013-14, Finished at USF), #11 Kansas City Chiefs: Valdes-Scantling caught two passes for 38 yards in the Chiefs’ 17-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens. The wideout made the game-sealing catch with two minutes to go on a 32-yard grab that seemed unlikely to fall into his hands, but it did.
Quarterback Russell Wilson (2007-09/Finished at Wisconsin), #3 Denver Broncos: Wilson was 297-of-447 passing for 3,070 yards with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 15 games this season. He had a long of 60 yards and was sacked 45 times. He was benched the last two games of the season, and is expected to be on a different team for the 2024 season.
Offensive guard Chandler Zavala (2021-22), #62 Carolina Panthers: Zavala played 374 total snaps next to fellow Pack Pro Ikem Ekownu this season. He logged an overall grade of 26.2, according to PFF, including a 7.1 pass blocking score and a 41.5 run blocking mark.
