Pack Pros: Payton Wilson’s work ethic headlines preseason buzz going into 2024 season

When linebacker Payton Wilson was at NC State, he always seemed to find himself around the football. It didn’t matter if he was near the ball carrier at the start of the play or not, but Wilson would be around nearly every dogpile on the gridiron. 

Now, as a professional after being selected with a third-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers this past spring, Wilson has seemed to take that same mindset to the NFL. He impressed in his preseason debut with a team-best seven total tackles, including five solo stops, and a tackle for a loss. 

But that was no surprise to those in the Steelers’ facility. 

“He was active on defense, but I think it’s kind of reflective of the production we’ve seen from him in Latrobe,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters after Wilson’s debut. “So I don’t know that any of us are surprised by it. I thought it was a good start individually for him.”

Wilson, who won the Bednarik and Butkus Awards last season for his standout play at NC State, has brought his “drive to improve” mindset to the Steel City. He is always looking to get better, and now at the next level, that has not changed. 

In fact, Wilson seems to still have his elite work ethic — and it might have taken an even step further than when he had it in Raleigh.

“Him and I don’t usually discuss how well he performs,” Steelers linebackers coach Aaron Curry told 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh. “We always discuss what he can do to take his game to the next level. … “We are still looking for ways to continue to take his game to the next level. He’s a coachable player that wants to be the best. I’m trying to do everything I can to help him achieve his goals.”

Wilson, who has appeared on the Steelers’ depth chart as the No. 2 left inside linebacker behind former Baltimore Ravens standout Patrick Queen, has stood out inside Pittsburgh’s defensive meeting rooms.

Queen, a former first-round pick out of LSU in 2020, raved about Wilson as he prepared for his first season in the NFL.

“Great impact. The guy could do everything,” Queen told Steelers.com about Wilson. “He’s an athletic freak. Just the things that he does and how well he communicates, and the want to be great is just rare to find in somebody that young. Just for him and the position he’s in to be able to come in and dominate, he realizes that. And he takes full advantage of it.”

NC State’s Pack Pros in 2024

NC State has more than two dozen former Wolfpack players in the NFL this season. Here’s a rundown of all the former Pack stars looking to make a roster this fall:

C Garrett Bradbury (played at NC State from 2015-18), #56 Minnesota Vikings: Bradbury enters his sixth season in the NFL, all the Vikings, after they took him in the first round of the 2019 draft. The center is set to start another campaign for Minnesota in the second of a three-year, $15.7 million contract he signed in 2023. 

QB Jacoby Brissett (2014-15), #14 New England Patriots: Brissett signed a one-year, $8 million contract to return to the Patriots, where he began his NFL career in 2016, this offseason. He was named the Patriots’ Week 1 starter over former UNC quarterback Drake Maye.

OLB Bradley Chubb (2014-17), #2 Miami Dolphins: The former first-round pick to the Denver Broncos enters his second full season with the Dolphins. He began training camp on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in Week 17 last season. Chubb will miss at least the first four weeks of the 2024 season as he works his way back onto the field.

P A.J. Cole III (2015-18), #6 Las Vegas Raiders: Fresh off his third consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, Cole is ready for another season in Sin City. He earned his second first-team All-Pro selection last season after he averaged a career-best 50.4 yards per punt with an 83-yard long. Cole landed a career-high 34 kicks inside the 20-yard line last season. 

DT Cory Durden (2021-22), #98 Los Angeles Rams: Durden enters his second season in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams. He appeared in four games as a rookie on the practice squad, recording three total tackles. The former two-time All-ACC selection was signed back to the practice squad following the 53-man roster cuts this preseason.

OT Ikem Ekwonu (2019-21), #79 Carolina Panthers: Following a rocky second season after conceding 44 quarterback pressures with 11 sacks given up at left tackle for the Panthers, Ekwonu is looking to grow this fall. He called the 2023 season a “humbling” experience in a recent interview with the Panthers’ team website. Ekwonu allowed just 27 pressures with six sacks as a rookie and Carolina hopes he can return to that number — or better as a third-year player. 

P Trenton Gill (2018-21), FREE AGENT: After being released from the Chicago Bears this spring, Gill signed with the Broncos. Gill owns a career average of 46.1 yards per punt with 38 inside the 20-yard line through his first two seasons in the NFL. He was waived by the Denver Broncos at the end of the preseason.

WR Kelvin Harmon (2016-18), #84 Dallas Cowboys: Harmon spent the last four NFL seasons without a team, but he impressed with the UFL’s DC Defenders this past spring (31 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns). That was enough to earn a workout with the Dallas Cowboys, who later signed Harmon. He was cut at the end of the preseason, but signed to the Cowboys’ practice squad. Harmon last appeared in a regular season NFL game with the Washington franchise in 2019. 

DL B.J. Hill Jr. (2014-17), #92 Cincinnati Bengals: Hill is going into his fourth year with the Bengals after he began his career with the Giants. He has been a routine starter for Cincinnati, posting 104 total tackles with seven sacks in 30 games over the last two seasons.

RB Nyheim Hines (2015-17), #22 Cleveland Browns: After Hines missed all of last season due to a jet ski accident, he is back healthy and signed with the Browns. He rejoined offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, who he was with in Buffalo, and will provide quality depth for the Browns’ running back room this season.

S Tanner Ingle (2018-22), #34 Los Angeles Rams: Following the 2023 season on the Rams’ practice squad, Ingle is looking to make the team’s active roster this fall. The undrafted second-year player was signed to the Rams’ practice squad at the end of the preseason.

OLB Savion Jackson, #54 FREE AGENT: Jackson signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent following the NFL Draft and spent the offseason with the team. He was cut and re-signed during the preseason, but did not make the 53-man roster or practice squad after recording four total tackles in two preseason appearances.

DT Justin Jones (2014-17), #93 Arizona Cardinals: A former third-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers, Jones is in his first season with the Cardinals. The defensive tackle signed a three-year deal with Arizona this offseason after he spent the last two seasons with the Chicago Bears. Jones has 218 career tackles, including 12 sacks, with one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.

LB Vi Jones (2019-21), #53 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jones spent the 2023 season on the Buccaneers’ practice squad following a season on the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad in 2022. He has appeared in three career NFL games, all on special teams with Seattle. He will begin the 2024 campaign on Tampa Bay’s practice squad.

CB Robert Kennedy III (2023), #40 Los Angeles Chargers: Kennedy signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in April. He was signed to the Chargers’ practice squad after he logged 12 total tackles with an interception and pass defended this preseason.

RB Zonovan Knight (2019-21), FREE AGENT: Knight was in his second season with the Lions, fresh off a season-ending injury he suffered last October after two games with Detroit. He has 313 career rushing yards and a touchdown on 88 carries, most of which came in seven games with the Jets in 2022. The former undrafted free agent was cut at the end of the preseason.

DT T.Y. McGill Jr. (2011-14), #96 San Francisco 49ers: After spending time with nine other NFL franchises, McGill has seemed to stick with the 49ers. He is entering his third season with the team, the longest stint with any squad during his 11-year career. McGill has 45 career tackles to his credit with 5.5 sacks, three passes defended and two forced fumbles. McGill was cut at the end of the preseason, but is on the 49ers’ practice squad.

C Dylan McMahon (2019-23), #63 Philadelphia Eagles: McMahon was a sixth-round draft choice this past spring after he put together a solid five-year career at NC State. He anchored the Wolfpack’s offensive line last fall, earning a selection by the Eagles to compete on the offensive line. McMahon was cut at the end of training camp, but signed with Philadelphia’s practice squad to begin his rookie season.

DT Alim McNeill (2018-20), #54 Detroit Lions: The former third-round draft pick by the Lions in 2021 is back for another year in the Motor City. McNeill posted a career-best five sacks last season, even though he played in just 13 games, battling an injury in the middle of the season. He is looking to build off that career-best total to break out as a budding star of the Lions’ defensive front. 

WR Jakobi Meyers (2016-18), #16 Las Vegas Raiders: After Meyers impressed in his first season in Las Vegas with 71 receptions for 807 yards and a career-best eight touchdowns, he is looking to continue the upward trend with another quarterback, former East Carolina and Washington State signal-caller Gardner Minshew. 

DT Larrell Murchison (2018-19), #52 Los Angeles Rams: Murchison played a career-best 15 games last season with the Rams. He recorded 16 total tackles, including seven solo stops. The defensive lineman was banged up in the preseason and will begin the season on the injured reserve with a return designation.

K Brayden Narveson (2023), #44 Green Bay Packers: NC State’s program record-holder for the longest made field goal (57 yards) impressed in the preseason. He went 3-for-3, including a 59-yarder and a 46-yard walk-off field goal, in the Titans’ 16-15 win over the Seattle Seahawks. He did not make the team in Tennessee, but the Green Bay Packers picked Narveson up. He will be the team’s starting placekicker this season.

RB Trent Pennix (2018-23), FREE AGENT: Pennix, who transitioned from tight end to running back as an undrafted free agent with the Colts, suffered a groin injury in his preseason debut. He logged one reception for seven yards in the contest. The Colts placed Pennix on the injured reserve following the injury. He was later waived with an injury settlement.

LB Germaine Pratt (2014-18), #57 Cincinnati Bengals: A stalwart for the Bengals’ defense, Pratt has become one of the go-to defenders in Cincinnati. He boasts 473 career tackles with 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, five interceptions and three fumble recoveries during his first five seasons in the NFL. Pratt enters the 2024 season off a career-best 118 tackles last fall. 

LS Joe Shimko (2019-23), FREE AGENT: After going undrafted this year, Shimko signed with the Cardinals, looking to earn a roster spot. He never had a bad snap in his five-year NC State career, and Shimko hopes that continues at the NFL level. He was cut in training camp.

DE James Smith-Williams (2016-19), #50 Atlanta Falcons: Smith-Williams spent his first four NFL seasons with the Washington Commanders, where he logged 85 total tackles with seven sacks. But this offseason, Smith-Williams elected to find a new home. He landed with the Falcons on a one-year contract. 

DL Kentavius Street (2014-17), #75 Atlanta Falcons: Street was traded to the Falcons from the Philadelphia Eagles midway through the 2023 season in exchange for a sixth-round pick. He suffered a pectoral injury that cut his year short with four games to play last season. Street resigned with the Falcons on a one-year contract for this season. He boasts 89 career tackles, including 7.5 sacks, with two passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. 

WR Thayer Thomas (2017-22), #89 Minnesota Vikings: A player that is used to earning his way onto the field, is on that same path yet again. Thomas walked-on to NC State’s football squad before he became an effective wideout for the Wolfpack. Now, he’s in year No. 2 of doing the same as an undrafted free agent with the Vikings. He was on the team’s practice squad last season and is looking to make the 53-man roster this fall. Thomas has yet to appear in an NFL regular season game. He is on the Vikings’ practice squad.

LB Drake Thomas (2019-22), #42 Seattle Seahawks: Similar to his older brother, Thomas is looking to earn his way onto the Seahawks’ active roster this season. He played on it a year ago before suffering a season-ending knee injury after seven games. That was his first year on a 53-man roster and Thomas made the active roster out of training camp.

OL Joe Thuney (2012-15), #62 Kansas City Chiefs: The four-time Super Bowl champion is set for his fifth season with the Chiefs this season. He was a Pro Bowl selection last season, his second time with the honor, while earning a first team All-Pro nod. Thuney did not play in the preseason with a pectoral injury, but is expected to be available for Kansas City’s season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. 

LB Payton Wilson (2018-23), #41 Pittsburgh Steelers: NC State’s most decorated defender in recent history after winning the Bednarik and Butkus Awards last season, Wilson began his professional career as a third-round pick by the Steelers. Wilson dazzled in his preseason debut with a team-best seven total tackles, including five solo stops and a tackle for a loss. 

QB Russell Wilson (2007-09, finished at Wisconsin), #3 Pittsburgh Steelers: After the Denver Broncos cut Wilson in March, he landed on his feet with a one-year, veteran minimum contract with the Steelers — his third team of his NFL career. Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, is looking to revamp himself with the Steelers after a pair of down seasons in Denver. The former Super Bowl champion is competing with former Bears quarterback Justin Fields to earn the starting spot in training camp. Wilson ended up winning the job coming out of training camp as the Steelers’ Week 1 starter.

OL Chandler Zavala (2021-22), #62 Carolina Panthers: Zavala entered the league as a fourth-round pick last year and he was named the team’s starting right guard in Week 1. He moved to left guard for the next four games before suffering a neck injury in Week 5 and a knee injury in Week 11. Zavala played 374 total snaps on the Panthers’ offensive line as a