NC State has 2 players invited to NFL Scouting Combine

NC State will have two representatives at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis — center Dylan McMahon and linebacker Payton Wilson — the league announced Tuesday.

The combine will be held Feb. 29-March 3. Wilson and the linebackers will be in action on the first day at 3 p.m. ET, while McMahon and the rest of the offensive linemen will hit the field on the final day of the combine at 1 p.m. ET. 

Both players impressed at their respective college all-star games earlier this year. McMahon turned heads at the East-West Shrine Bowl, while Wilson did the same at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. 

Nick Baumgardner, a senior writer and NFL Draft analyst for The Athletic, tabbed McMahon (6-2, 295) as one of the 15 most intriguing players at this year’s East-West Shrine Bowl. 

“Don’t get lost in the measurables here. Despite a small frame and less-than-ideal length, McMahon is an explosive, balanced athlete who’ll jump very well — he was a member of Bruce Feldman’s 2022 Freaks List,” Baumgardner wrote. “I didn’t see him lose a padded rep in team drills. McMahon’s hand speed and general burst off the snap was too much for just about everyone he encountered, in protection or the run game.”

“One of his first reps of the week came against Auburn bull rusher Justin Rogers (6-2, 338),” Baumgardner continued. “McMahon got his hands on Rogers first, maintained leverage and ate the former five-star recruit’s best shot with great anchor and balance throughout the rep.”

Baumgardner was not the only media member to rave about McMahon’s practices in Frisco. Chad Reuter, NFL.com’s draft analyst, named the former Wolfpack center the No. 2 performer after the Jan. 29 practice at the event. 

“McMahon has been the best lineman in Frisco this week,” Reuter wrote. “He played some guard in earlier practices but starred at center Monday, stuffing big tackles like Auburn’s Justin Rogers in one-on-ones, even though he gave up over 40 pounds. McMahon’s powerful base allowed him to sit in his stance against Washington’s Tuli Letuligasenoa in team work, which is no mean feat.”

“The quickness and strength of his hands into the body of his man after the snap were impressive, once engaged, McMahon sticks on his man throughout plays in team or position drills with balance and footwork,” Reuter continued. “He looked like an eventual NFL starter.” 

McMahon, a four-year starter on the Wolfpack’s offensive line, is the No. 9 center available in the draft, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. 

Wilson, meanwhile, is the sixth-best outside linebacker available in the draft, according to Kiper. 

Kiper did rave about the ACC Defensive Player of the Year following the Reese’s Senior Bowl. 

“Payton Wilson at NC State had some injuries,” Kiper said on the NFL on ESPN YouTube channel. “The durability is the concern. He’s not the attack outside linebacker that is going to get you 10-12 sacks a year. He’s an all-around complete player. He shows up instinctively. When you need a play, there he was. Whether it was intercepting a pass, breaking up a pass, getting after the quarterback, tracking a running back or receiver from sideline to sideline in space, breaking down, making tackles, he’s the complete linebacker. He could play anywhere, he can do anything you need him to do.

“Payton Wilson, you talk about a baller, he’s a baller. He’s the guy you want on your football team. I said from the get-go I like this kid, I want him on my team, there’s a guy right there you’ve got to love.”

Wilson was a unanimous All-America selection after he led the ACC with 138 total tackles, 6 sacks and 3 interceptions. The linebacker also added 6 passes defended and 2 fumble recoveries. 

McMahon played 684 snaps across 11 of the Pack’s 13 games in his first season as the team’s primary center. He posted an overall grade of 66.2, according to Pro Football Focus, including a 71.3 pass-blocking score and a 67.8 run-blocking mark.