Defense gets love on Senior Bowl watch list

All five Wolfpack players named play on the defensive side of the ball

 NC State was an offensive juggernaut in 2018, ranking third in the ACC with averages of 33.8 points and 456.1 yards per game.

 But with the loss of quarterback Ryan Finley, top rusher Reggie Gallaspy, 1,000-yard receivers Kelvin Harmon and Jakobi Meyers, and all-conference center Garrett Bradbury -- the first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings -- conventional wisdom suggests that the Wolfpack will have to rely more heavily on its defense this season.

 It’s a notion borne out by the preseason watch list announced by the Senior Bowl on Thursday.

 All five of the State upperclassmen mentioned as potential candidates for the prestigious pre-draft all-star game play on the defensive side of the ball.

 Heading the list is strong safety Jarrius Morehead, who in addition to being the top returning tackler for the Wolfpack with 81 stops, is the heir apparent to graduated linebacker Germaine Pratt as the defense’s on-the-field leader.

 “I know what he brought to the table,” Morehead said. “So I have to step up my game.”

The other State players on the watch list are edge rusher James Smith-Williams and tackle Larrell Murchison, along with cornerbacks Nick McCloud and Stephen Griffin.