Which Pack Pros Are Suiting Up in the NFL Playoffs?

RALEIGH — Over the years since Dave Doeren took over the program, NC State has steadily become a quality producer of talent for the NFL. While the Wolfpack's players aren't always the most highly-touted come draft season, the program has consistently been in the mix.

With the 2025 NFL regular season wrapped up, there are a handful of former Wolfpack players, or Pack Pros, who are trying to help their teams compete for a Super Bowl over the next month. The NFL Playoffs get started Saturday, with six Wild Card games over the course of the weekend as teams push for the Divisional Round in the AFC and NFC. Where are the Pack Pros in action?

Playoff Pack Pros

Linebacker Payton Wilson

Wilson put together a solid second season in the NFL after breaking through with the Pittsburgh Steelers in his rookie season. He finished with 126 total tackles, two sacks, a fumble recovery, an interception and a pair of passes defended. His efforts helped the Steeler defense turn things around after a slower start to the year than coach Mike Tomlin would have preferred.

After knocking off the Baltimore Ravens in a win-or-go home regular season finale, Wilson and the Steelers are set to host the Houston Texans in one of the AFC Wild Card games. The matchup will be the Monday Night Football game for the weekend.

Offensive guard Joe Thuney

Thuney enters the postseason as the most accomplished of the Pack Pros, having already won Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. However, he protected upcoming star quarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears, helping him get the Bears back into the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

He finished the season as one of the best pass protectors in the league, not allowing Williams to be sacked once. Thuney and the Bears are set to host their archrival Green Bay Packers on Saturday for one of the NFC Wild Card games.

Offensive lineman Chandler Zavala

Zavala appeared in six games for the Carolina Panthers in 2025, but suffered a calf injury against the San Francisco 49ers that placed him on the team's injured reserve. The Panthers already ruled out the guard for Saturday's NFC Wild Card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams and another Pack Pro.

Defensive tackle Larrell Murchison

Murchison is set to take on the Panthers on Saturday after hitting his stride during the 2025 season. After not seeing the field in 2024, he racked up a pair of sacks and eight total tackles in 16 games with Los Angeles. He was joined by safety Tanner Ingle and offensive lineman Dylan McMahon on the Rams as former Wolfpack players, although those two didn't get much action.

Offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu

Ekwonu continued to show development in his fourth NFL season, starting 16 games at left tackle for the NFC South division champion Panthers in 2025. He allowed a total of 40 pressures, 29 quarterback hurries and five sacks over his 942 offensive snaps throughout the season. He will try to keep quarterback Bryce Young upright against the Rams on Saturday.

Offensive tackle Anthony Belton

Belton experienced some rookie growing pains in his first season with the Green Bay Packers. He made seven starts, six of them coming at right tackle and one coming at right guard, throughout Green Bay's 9-7-1 run. He will try to help the Packers take down the rival Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Saturday night.

Center Garrett Bradbury

Bradbury joined the New England Patriots during the offseason with the hopes of winning the starting center job as a veteran and helping young quarterback Drake Maye take strides as a player in his second season. All of that happened and then some, as the Patriots won 14 games in Bradbury's first year with the organization.

Now, coach Mike Vrabel, Maye and the veteran center are set to host the Los Angeles Chargers in Foxborough for a Wild Card matchup on Sunday night. Bradbury will try to continue his stretch of games without allowing a sack.

Defensive lineman Cory Durden

Durden just needed a shot and finally earned one after bouncing around practice squads over the first few years of his NFL career. The Patriots took a chance on the former Wolfpack defensive tackle and it paid off, as he tallied a career-high 30 tackles and 17 pressure, appearing in every game of the regular season. He'll join Bradbury for the matchup against the Chargers on Sunday.

Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers

Meyers made the brilliant decision to request a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders, a franchise bound for the cellar once again, ending up with the Jacksonville Jaguars. While he finished the season with 835 yards receiving, over half of that total came in his nine games with the Jaguars, as did his three touchdown receptions.

He will help the Jaguars, one of the surprises of the season, attempt to take down Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in Jacksonville on Saturday.

Linebacker Drake Thomas

Thomas, an undersized linebacker, battled for a spot on the Seattle Seahawks roster. He ended up becoming one of the surprises for the NFL's most surprising team, as the Seahawks stormed to the top seed in the NFC.

The former Wolfpack linebacker tallied 96 tackles, 3.5 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery in 17 games with Seattle. Now, he and the team await an opponent after earning a first-round bye.

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