Pack Pros: LB Payton Wilson makes NFL Debut with Pittsburgh Steelers and more

Football is back. NFL Training camp is in full swing, and games are back underway as the preseason kicked off this weekend. NC State has 31 Pack Pros on NFL rosters at the moment and most of them saw action during the opening week of the preseason, headlined by Payton Wilson’s professional debut with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Here is a look at how all of the Pack Pros did in their first week of preseason action to begin the 2024 NFL season. 

NC State Pack Pros in action: Preseason Week 1

Center Garrett Bradbury (played at NC State from 2015-18), #56 Minnesota Vikings: Bradbury played 12 snaps in the Vikings’ 24-23 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday. The center played with Minnesota’s starting unit before being pulled for the reserves to enter the game. He played eight pass blocking snaps with four run blocking opportunities to begin the preseason.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett (2014-15), #14 New England Patriots: The former Wolfpack quarterback was 0-for-3 in the Patriots’ 17-3 win over the Carolina Panthers to begin the preseason slate. He played just four snaps as New England played its three reserve quarterbacks — Bailey Zappe, Joe Milton III and Drake Maye — for most of the game. 

Outside linebacker Bradley Chubb (2014-17), #2 Miami Dolphins: Chubb did not play in the Dolphins’ 20-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons. 

Punter A.J. Cole III (2015-18), #6 Las Vegas Raiders: Cole logged six punts in the Raiders’ 24-23 loss at the Minnesota Vikings. He racked up 312 total yards with three kicks inside the 20-yard line, which included a 60-yard boom. Cole averaged 52.0 yards per punt in his 2024 preseason debut. 

Defensive tackle Cory Durden (2021-22), #98 Los Angeles Rams: Durden played 28 snaps in the Rams’ 13-12 win over the Dallas Cowboys. He did not record a tackle in the victory.

Offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (2019-21), #79 Carolina Panthers: The former first-round pick did not play in the Panthers’ 17-3 loss to the New England Patriots to open the preseason. 

Punter Trenton Gill (2018-21), #16 Denver Broncos: Gill did not play in the Broncos’ 34-30 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Wide receiver Kelvin Harmon (2016-18), #84 Dallas Cowboys: In his return to the NFL, Harmon made two receptions for 38 yards in the Cowboys’ 13-12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, playing against multiple Pack Pros. He was targeted twice and had a long reception of 26 yards in the defeat.

Defensive lineman B.J. Hill Jr. (2014-17), #92 Cincinnati Bengals: Hill did not play in the Bengals’ 17-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Running back Nyheim Hines (2015-17), #22 Cleveland Browns: Hines did not play in the Browns’ 23-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers. 

Safety Tanner Ingle (2018-22), #34 Los Angeles Rams: Ingle made five total tackles, including four solo stops, in the Rams’ 13-12 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Defensive tackle Justin Jones (2014-17), #93 Arizona Cardinals: Jones did not play in the Cardinals’ 16-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints. 

Linebacker Vi Jones (2019-21), #53 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jones made four tackles, including three solos, in the Buccaneers’ 17-14 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He played 25 snaps on defense, including 16 in pass coverage, to earn a 67.6 defense grade from PFF.

Cornerback Robert Kennedy III (2023), #40 Los Angeles Chargers: Kennedy made two tackles, including one solo stop, in the Chargers’ 16-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He played five snaps on defense in the game, earning a 67.2 defense grade from PFF. 

Running back Zonovan Knight (2019-21), #28 Detroit Lions: Knight, who is making a return from a season-ending injury a year ago, logged six carries for 12 yards in the Lions’ 14-3 preseason-opening loss to the New York Giants. He added two receptions for 10 yards on three targets in the pass game as well.

Defensive tackle T.Y. McGill Jr. (2011-14), #96 San Francisco 49ers: McGill did not play in the 49ers’ 17-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Center Dylan McMahon (2019-23), #63 Philadelphia Eagles: McMahon played 39 snaps in the Eagles’ 16-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens. He logged a 55.3 offense grade from PFF in the preseason game, where he logged 21 run blocking snaps and 18 pass blocking snaps. 

Defensive tackle Alim McNeill (2018-20), #54 Detroit Lions: McNeill did not play in the Lions’ 14-3 loss to the New York Giants. 

Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (2016-18), #16 Las Vegas Raiders: Meyers caught three passes for 45 yards in the Raiders’ 24-23 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He was targeted just three times and had a long reception of 24 yards in 13 total snaps played with the Raiders’ starting offense. 

Defensive tackle Larrell Murchison (2018-19), #52 Los Angeles Rams: Murchison made one tackle in the Rams’ 13-12 win over the Dallas Cowboys, a game full of Pack Pros. He left the game early with an arm injury and did not return after he played 31 total snaps.

Kicker Brayden Narveson (2023), #47 Tennessee Titans: Narveson made a 34-yard field goal in the Titans’ 17-13 win over the San Francisco 49ers. He played two snaps in the game, the field goal and a kickoff, to begin his NFL career. 

Running back Trent Pennix (2018-23), #36 Indianapolis Colts: Pennix, who moved from tight end to running back at the NFL level, caught one pass for seven yards in the Colts’ 34-30 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Linebacker Germaine Pratt (2014-18), #57 Cincinnati Bengals: Pratt made one tackle in the Bengals’ 17-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played just two total snaps in the preseason opener, earning a 91 defensive score from PFF for his services. 

Long snapper Joe Shimko (2019-23), #47 Arizona Cardinals: Shimko played three snaps in the Cardinals’ 16-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints, all on punt coverage as a long snapper. 

Defensive end James Smith-Williams (2016-19), #50 Atlanta Falcons: Smith-Williams did not play in the Falcons’ 20-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins. 

Defensive lineman Kentavius Street (2014-17), #75 Atlanta Falcons: Street made one tackle, which was for a loss, in the Falcons’ 20-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He played just six defensive snaps and his effectiveness earned the highest PFF defense grade on the team with a 93.1 mark. 

Wide receiver Thayer Thomas (2017-22), #89 Minnesota Vikings: Thomas logged three receptions for 24 yards in the Vikings’  24-23 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He was targeted five times in the victory and Thomas recorded an 11-yard grab, his longest of the night. 

Linebacker Drake Thomas (2019-22), #42 Seattle Seahawks: Thomas did not play in the Seahawks’ 16-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. 

Offensive guard Joe Thuney (2012-15), #62 Kansas City Chiefs: Thuney did not play in the Chiefs’ 26-13 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Linebacker Payton Wilson (2018-23), #41 Pittsburgh Steelers: The former NC State star posted an impressive preseason debut with the Steelers. He logged a team-best seven total tackles with five solo stops and a tackle for a loss in the Steelers’ 20-12 loss to the Houston Texans. 

Offensive guard Chandler Zavala (2021-22), #62 Carolina Panthers: Zavala played 54 snaps in the Panthers’ 17-3 loss at the New England Patriots. He received the second-highest offense grade on the Panthers, according to Pro Football Focus, with an 84.0 mark. Zavala had above-average marks in pass blocking (78.1) and run blocking (81.6) to begin the preseason. He also recovered a fumble in the game.