The One Trait Making Each Top 4 NC State Prospect Draftable

RALEIGH — Dave Doeren and NC State turned the page on the 2025 season shortly after their win in the Gasparilla Bowl, but many members of that roster are still worth monitoring as they push toward the next step in their football careers: the NFL. Several members of the Wolfpack are trying to become the next wave of Pack Pros, all participating to varying degrees in the pre-draft process.

Five players from the Pack appear to be the most NFL-ready after most of the pre-draft workouts and events ended. Their game tape and physical testing should be enough to get them to the league one way or another, whether that's through the upcoming NFL Draft at the end of April or by way of signing as undrafted free agents with one of the 32 organizations. But what makes each one worth a shot from a pro team?

TE Justin Joly - Aerial weapon

Tight ends usually fall into one of two categories in the NFL, with a select few being able to jump from one role to the other. Some are elite in the passing game, offering big bodies for quarterbacks to target and then delivering punishing hits on smaller defenders. Others are stellar blockers, who excel in the open field when creating space for other playmakers. Justin Joly falls into the first pot.

NC State's star tight end caught 11 touchdowns in his two seasons with the program, using his impressive wingspan and body control skills to come down with balls that very few other tight ends in the country could. There's always room for a red zone threat like Joly on an NFL roster.

DT Brandon Cleveland - Stuffing the run

As more and more NFL teams turn back the clock and run the ball more, defenses need to adapt by bringing in bigger bodies to slow down the rushing attack. Brandon Cleveland is a perfect solution to that problem, having cleaned up some significant issues with NC State's run defense in his senior season with the Pack.

In the 2025 campaign, Cleveland racked up 21 stops, per PFF, the second-best output for any defensive lineman on the roster. In a position that isn't necessarily easy to identify impact with the naked eye, Cleveland didn't make things hard to see.

OLB/Edge Cian Slone - Work rate

Cian Slone is an absolute grinder, as well as an incredible athlete for his unique position. The veteran played in the Wolfpack's JACK linebacker spot, which is a hybrid outside linebacker role similar to many pass rushers in the NFL. In that role, Slone racked up 650 defensive snaps, even while missing half of the Duke game with an injury.

The edge rusher showed a relentless drive in his 13 games with the Wolfpack and appeared to improve his body even more during the pre-draft process, shining during his Pro Day workout. That work rate should be enough to get him a shot in the NFL.

CB Devon Marshall - Underdog mentality

Devon Marshall was the first to admit that he might have to walk an unorthodox path to achieve his dreams of playing in the NFL. The undersized cornerback feels like he's been looked over through much of his career and just keeps proving people wrong.

After a remarkable season with 12 pass breakups and two interceptions, both of which came while guarding Florida State wideout Duce Robinson with several NFL scouts in the press box, Marshall said he's willing to do whatever it takes to play in the league, even if it means going undrafted. That mindset should appeal to teams looking for a true dog, even though that term gets thrown around far too much. Marshall is worthy of the title, however.