Underrated NC State Prospects Who Could Sneak Into the NFL Draft

RALEIGH — NC State's preparations for the 2026 season are well underway, with spring practices all wrapped up. However, some members of the 2025 roster are still hanging around as they make their own preparations for the upcoming NFL Draft, working out around the facilities and participating in the program's Pro Day, which hosted scouts and position coaches from all 32 pro teams.

The Wolfpack won't have any prospects who jump off the page, with most of the draftable players likely to hear their names called on the second or third day of the event. Beyond Justin Joly, Brandon Cleveland, Cian Slone and Devon Marshall, there are a handful of other Wolfpack players who could have a shot at being drafted at some point throughout the weekend. Who are they?

TE Cody Hardy

While Joly is turning most of the heads looking at NC State's highly successful tight end room, the Wolfpack's other tight end prospect could carve out a niche role for himself in the NFL. Cody Hardy emerged as one of the best blocking tight ends in the country in both the run and pass game after transferring from Elon.

Of his 292 total snaps, 195 came in blocking situations for Hardy, who graded out with an 80.8 run block score according to Pro Football Focus. With more teams experimenting with 12-personnel and jumbo packages, Hardy could absolutely earn some looks from a few teams looking for a talented blocker.

LB Caden Fordham

NC State has an impressive lineage of linebacker play in the NFL, especially now with Payton Wilson and Drake Thomas patrolling the field for the Steelers and Seahawks. There's reason to believe a team might take a shot on a linebacker who came up through the Wolfpack ranks, watching those two dominate: Caden Fordham.

In his final season with the program, Fordham returned after a gruesome knee injury and became a tackle machine for the Wolfpack, finishing the season with 130 total tackles, the most in the ACC. He added 56 solo tackles as well and earned MVP honors in the team's win in the Gasparilla Bowl. While Fordham might be a little undersized, Thomas just won a Super Bowl, playing a large role after being overlooked because of his size.

WR Wesley Grimes

There's always room for burner speed in the NFL and Wesley Grimes certainly brings that to the table. While he wasn't incredibly productive across stops at Wake Forest and NC State, the speedy wideout always could take the top of opposing defenses because of his speed. In his senior season, he tallied 29 receptions for 430 yards and three touchdowns in just 10 games.

After running somewhere around a 4.35 at his Pro Day, Grimes showed just how fast he can play. That might be enough to get him on an NFL roster over the course of the weekend, especially given his reputation around the locker room and coaching staff.

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