NC State LB Payton Wilson makes NFL Combine freaks list
Former NC State All-American linebacker Payton Wilson will participate in the NFL Scouting Combine this week. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman put together a list of the most impressive athletic “freaks” going into the event.
Wilson made the list at No. 4 and was the only linebacker to crack the top-10. During his sixth and final season with the Wolfpack, the NC State superstar led the ACC in total tackles with 138 stops. At one point early in the season, the program’s GPS tracking technology reported him running 23.7 miles per hour.
His staggering athletic ability at 6-4 led to him making the freaks list Sunday.
“He is one of the best players in the draft,” Feldman wrote. “A former standout lacrosse player and state champion wrestler, the 6-4, 235-pounder won the Butkus and Bednarik awards in 2023. At NC State, Wilson had been clocked in the 40 at 4.49 and ran a 4.21 in the pro agility shuttle last offseason. He bench pressed 390, vertical jumped 35 1/2 inches and broad jumped 9-8 1/2. Don’t be surprised if he tops a lot of those numbers at the combine.”
The linebacker finished his storied Wolfpack career as one of the most accomplished defensive players in program history. He recorded 17.5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 3 interceptions, including 1 returned for a touchdown, and 6 defended passes during the 2023 season.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah recently spoke with TheWolfpacker.com about Wilson’s draft prospects and said he could see the linebacker establishing himself as a second round pick if his medicals come back clear at the combine.
“I love him as a player,” Jeremiah said. “That’s going to be everything with the evaluation, it’s just going to come down to what does that look like from a health standpoint. The tape is really, really good. … At the Senior Bowl he was what I saw on tape, just a ton of speed, range, he can cover. He’s got some physicality to him, you could kind of see him take control out there.”
Pro Football Network’s seven-round NFL mock draft projects the linebacker as a third round pick. The Los Angeles Chargers selected him with the No. 69 overall pick.
Wilson was one of two former NC State stars to receive an invite to the combine, joining center Dylan McMahon at the event. Long snapper Joe Shimko will also attend the specialist showcase. The linebacker group will work out Thursday, Feb. 29, with the testing broadcast on NFL Network.
