NC State TE Justin Joly Faces NFL Combine Spotlight
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The NFL Scouting Combine kicked off earlier in the week, as 319 college prospects descended upon Indianapolis to show their personality and ability as much as possible in front of scouts, coaches and front office executives from all 32 NFL franchises. The Combine can make or break the draft process for many prospects. Former NC State tight end Justin Joly isn't afraid of that pressure, though.
Joly walked away from the Wolfpack after two strong seasons in which he became one of the most productive tight ends in program history. The confident and talented tight end began his portion of the event by fielding questions and completing interviews on the same day that his teammate, defensive lineman Brandon Cleveland, completed on-field workouts and drills at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Watch On SI's coverage of Joly's podium session here
Why Joly is ready for the next level
Across four college seasons split between UConn and NC State, Joly proved himself to be one of the nation's most productive tight ends. He surged once he arrived in Raleigh and suited up for the Wolfpack, racking up 1,150 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 92 receptions during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. One aspect of his game is the one Joly thinks will be most appealing to NFL teams.
"Honestly, I'm a guy that's going to get in the end zone," he said. "I feel like I showed that this year and I showed that in the Senior Bowl as well, when it came to red zone one-on-ones and winning. If you want some touchdowns, put me in there... I'm the guy that gets it done."
Joly always stood out as more of a pass-catching tight end than a blocker, but his improvements in the blocking game were noticeable in his senior season working under tight ends coach Gavin Locklear. His assessment of the area he improved the most was not the improved blocking, however, as he felt another part of his game might be the difference for NFL talent evaluators.
"I would say my reliability," he said. "I feel like my quarterbacks, no matter where I went, could count on me to make the catch and if I didn't make that catch the first time, it's going to happen the second time without a doubt."
Locklear and the rest of the Wolfpack coaching staff raved about Joly's effort throughout the entire season. He battled in every game he was available in and proved to be a tremendous teammate while battling an injury during NC State's upset win over Georgia Tech in early November. The personality that impressed the Pack during his two seasons showed up quickly at the Combine.
"Whatever you need me to do, I'm that guy," Joly said. "I'll run through a brick wall if you need me to, even if it's concrete."
The tight end is already paying it back to NC State, advocating for the program on the biggest stage. Without the development he underwent with the Wolfpack, Joly likely wouldn't have made it to the Combine stage, but now looks poised to be a second-day draft pick at the end of April. His second college program is already reaping the reputational rewards of Joly's success story.
"I was only there for two years. If I'm you and I'm out of high school, I'm going to go to NC State," he said. "You've seen what I did. The coaches that we've got there, Gavin Locklear, that man will teach you everything in all different types of ways. Overall, probably the best coach I've had in my career."
Joly won't participate in any of the running or athletic tests at the Combine, as he will run his 40-yard dash and do other physical testing at his pro day back in Raleigh later in the draft process. However, he plans to compete in the positional drills for the tight end group on Thursday, alongside several other high-profile tight end prospects.
The ex-NC State star appears to have the right attitude when it comes to playing at the next level and hopes to be an impactful player as soon as he hears his name called during the draft in April.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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