Former NC State OLB Cian Slone aims to get drafted

NC State outside linebacker Cian Slone’s journey to becoming a NFL Draft hopeful wasn’t smooth or easy. 

Slone missed his senior year of high school due to a knee injury, which was the second one he had suffered. He also wasn’t near his current size of 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds.

Slone went to nearby American River Junior College in North Highlands, Calif., and he stayed healthy, gained weight and started to thrive. He had 84 tackles, 12 sacks, 22.0 tackles for loss and a forced fumble his sophomore year, and ended up transferring to Utah State, where he played with current NCSU tackle Teague Andersen.

“I feel like when you’re going through those injuries, you’re just kind of worried about getting healthy,” Slone said. “I know for me coming out of junior college with those ACL injuries in high school, it was ‘All right, get the juco, then try to make it out.’ Then it’s just like step-by-step, just trying to win the day every day. It’s been great.

“Like I’ve said before, my family and friends have really helped me a lot through that process.”

Slone was able to get 7.5 sacks his junior year with 49 tackles for the Aggies, and then transferred to NC State, who had a glaring need for an edge rusher in new defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot’s 4-2-5 scheme. Slone filled the void and had 61 tackles and 1.5 sacks this season for the Wolfpack. Slone was third on the NC State defense with a 76.3 grade by Pro Football Focus.

“Obviously going from Utah State, I love the school, the staff, everyone over there, but I thought it was the best interest of me to transfer here,” Slone said. “Kind of the spot that I played here last year was like the outside linebacker role, which is you see that a lot in the NFL. So just to kind of put that on tape and to compete against the best was a great opportunity.”

Slone took advantage of a big showcase win over Georgia Tech with 10 tackles, and he also had seven tackles apiece against East Carolina and Virginia Tech. 

Slone had one last chance to really impress NFL scouts and he took advantage of it Tuesday. He unofficially clocked 4.60 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and added a 35.5-inch vertical jump and 23 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press.

“That’s kind of where I thought I was going to be at,” Slone said. “I was jumping around out of the air so that was kind of my plan. I wanted to get it up at 35, so I’m happy with it.

“It’s always kind of nice to jump high, you know, kind of shows that you’re explosive.”

NC State has a litany of former players in the NFL and Slone hopes to talk some with former star outside linebacker Payton Wilson of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who watched Pro Day.

“He trains here in the offseason,” Slone said. “I’ve seen him a couple of times. He’s just a guy you want to follow your game after, just physicality, speed, everything that he has done for the game. It’s really inspiring.

“I hope in the next couple of weeks, I can chop it up with him a little bit.”