For years now, Philip Rivers and Russell Wilson have been the two most prominent representatives of NC State in the NFL. This year’s record-setting draft which featured six former Wolfpack players selected in the first five rounds will change that narrative, as a collection of new talent will join Rivers and Wilson.
Bradley Chubb, Defensive End, Denver Broncos: Chubb, of course, is thrilled to be playing alongside former Super Bowl MVP, linebacker Von Miller. Per the Broncos, Chubb said playing with Miller is “gonna be one of the best things ever.” Still, for as excited as Chubb is of the idea, no one is more fired up than Von Miller, as his reaction to the Broncos’ selection of Chubb became a viral video after draft day. Interestingly, because of his athleticism, Chubb is taking a lot of reps at the strongside linebacker position.
Josh Jones, Defensive Back, Green Bay Packers: In his rookie year, Jones had an extremely impressive season, mostly as a linebacker for the Pack. Due to injuries though, the 6’2’’ Jones was forced to fill in as a safety, where he was not as successful. For now though, Green Bay’s new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine is planning on keeping Jones at safety opposite Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. However, given Jones’ size, a move back to linebacker may be inevitable.
BJ Hill, Defensive Tackle, New York Giants: Hill was the second of four starting defensive linemen from the 2017 NC State team selected in April’s draft. Giants general manager Dave Gettleman’s plan of attack is to start strong on the defensive line. He told NJ.com, “I’m going to build this team from the inside out.” In fact, his original plan was to snag Chubb with the 2nd pick, but Saquon Barkley was too much of a threat to pass on. Still, Gettleman took notice of NC State’s stacked D-line.
Philip Rivers, Quarterback, Los Angeles Chargers: Head coach Anthony Lynn and the Chargers finished 9-7 last year, good for 2nd place in the AFC West. The organization is seen as an up-and-coming team, and figure to make power moves in the 2018 season. This year will be Rivers’ age-36 season, and some NFL analysts think it could be his best yet, as a series of offseason moves have brought improvements on both sides of the ball for the Bolts. Three-time Pro Bowl center Mike Pouncey signed a two-year contract a few months back, shoring up an offensive line that has plagued Rivers in the past. Stud running back Melvin Gordon returns for his 5th year with the club, too. Rivers and the Chargers are definitely a team to watch in 2018.
Justin Jones, Defensive Tackle, Los Angeles Chargers: Joining Rivers will be rookie third-round selection Justin Jones, who was selected by the Chargers only 15 picks after his fellow starting D-lineman BJ Hill. As of now, the Chargers have Jones sitting as the 5th defensive tackle in their depth chart, but their defensive line is one of the strongest in the AFC, boasting Pro Bowlers Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram on opposite ends.
Nyheim Hines, Running Back, Indianapolis Colts: New Colts head coach Frank Reich has always favored versatility in his offensive players. He worked with both Antonio Gates and Zach Ertz and turned them into two of the best pass-catching tight ends in recent years. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that he has been featuring a heavy dose of Nyheim Hines in the Colts organized team activities (OTAs). Hines has been getting reps as a slot receiver and out of the backfield. He will be fun to watch in 2018.
Jacoby Brissett, Quarterback, Indianapolis Colts: At this point, it’s anyone’s guess if Andrew Luck will be back for the start of the 2018 season. This offseason, the Colts reportedly rejected two trade offers for Brissett, and for the first time in his career, he is taking offseason snaps with the first team. Through 15 games last year in Brissett’s second season, he put up respectable numbers, totaling over 3,000 yards passing, with 13 TDs and only seven interceptions. Given Andrew Luck’s injury history, it’s a good bet that he and Hines will be cooking up some offense together.
Steven Hauschka, Kicker, Buffalo Bills: Hauschka is the only player on this list who made the playoffs last year. Coming into 2018, he is set to again be the starting kicker for the Bills, who traded away starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor and are grooming first-round pick Josh Allen as their man of the future. Hauschka connected on an impressive 29 of 33 field goal attempts last year.
Russell Wilson, Quarterback, Seattle Seahawks: What would a Pack Pros article be without Russell Wilson? Wilson put up ridiculously good numbers last year, accounting for nearly all of the depleted Seahawks’ offense. How’s this for a stat line: 3,983 passing yards, 586 rushing yards and 37 total touchdowns (34 passing/ 3 rushing). Unfortunately for Wilson, 2018 could be a rebuilding year for the Seahawks, so may be forced to once again carry the bulk of the load for his squad.
Jaylen Samuels, Running Back, Pittsburgh Steelers: Le’Veon Bell is one of the best running backs in the league, and is sitting out of OTAs with the intention of reworking his contract with the Steelers. In his absence, all-purpose back Jaylen “Jay-Sam” Samuels is getting a lot of work in with the Steelers. Samuels is motivated by his perceived slight of being drafted in the 5th round, and feels he has something to prove, telling ESPN: “I’ve felt disrespected. That’s just a little bit of motivation for me.”
