Nick Faulkner
Sophomore outside guard Tony Adams congratulates Sophomore tight end Jaylen Samuels after his touchdown. Samuels had 65 yards on the ground and 74 yards through the air including two touchdowns. The Wolfpack lost homecoming 56-41 to No. 3 Clemson on October 31st in Carter-Finley Stadium.
NC State football will be a hot ticket at this year’s NFL draft. Following a breakout 9-4 season that featured several standout performers, the Wolfpack could have as many as eight players hear their names called in Arlington, Texas, April 26-28.
While most of the attention goes to players such as defensive end Bradley Chubb, a likely top-five pick, and flashy offensive weapons in Nyheim Hines and Jaylen Samuels, a player who could play a key role as a value pick for an NFL team is offensive guard Tony Adams.
Adams, a four-year starter at guard for the Pack, was named second-team All-ACC at right guard and started all 13 of NC State’s games there last year, playing a key role in both run blocking and pass protection.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein projects Adams as a fifth-round pick on day three of the NFL Draft, and compares him to Josh Sitton, a well-traveled NFL vet who has carved out a strong career for himself and is currently with the Miami Dolphins.
According to Zierlein, Adams’ primary strengths are that he is strong, quick and athletic, with a diverse skill set that will enable him to be a fit in different kinds of blocking systems. Conversely, the biggest knocks against Adams is that he does not have the size teams look for in NFL guards, and that he struggles to adjust when defenders get an early jump on him.
Despite uncertainty about where he may end up and what round he could be drafted in, Adams has enjoyed going through the NFL draft process.
“It’s been interesting,” Adams said. “It’s been one of those where you’re so in the dark. Everybody’s in the dark in this situation. You get certain vibes from teams, but you don’t know what’s going on. But just the process of training, getting your body ready, getting mentally and physically ready, growing up and being in that part has been really cool. Being out of school, being out of this environment, it’s different, but it’s a part of your life.”
While Adams was not invited to the NFL Draft Combine, he did play in the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Florida, in January. RotoWorld reports that Adams met with the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers (home of former NC State star quarterback Philip Rivers) and Pittsburgh Steelers at NC State’s pro day March 19.
In addition, the New York Jets, New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs are among teams that could use help at guard, and Adams confirmed he has spoken to a plethora of NFL teams.
“I’ve talked to almost every team,” Adams said. “Probably at least 20-25 teams. Every interview process has been very nice, very smooth. They’ve all seemed very impressed with me and my film, but whatever happens, a lot of teams seem to have some good interest.”
With at least half the league seemingly looking for help at guard every offseason, and coming off a strong year as part of one of the strongest offensive lines in college football, Adams should have no problem finding NFL employment for the upcoming season. Even if he’s not a starter right away, depth at offensive line is a key component to a strong NFL roster, and Adams should have a role to play in the big leagues next fall.