North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony Haynes: NC State Draft Recap
5/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
May 2, 2006
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - It was approximately 15 hours before the start of this year's NFL draft that everyone knew that this would not be a normal draft year for NC State. On Friday night, Wolfpack defensive end Mario Williams agreed to terms with the Houston Texans, thus making him the first No. 1 draft pick in the 52-year history of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Then, following Williams' formal introduction shortly after noon on Saturday, more school history would be made over the next several hours.
When the San Francisco 49rs made Wolfpack defensive end Manny Lawson the 22nd selection of the first round, it marked the first time in NC State history that two players had been taken in the opening round of the same draft. That record was then padded four picks later when defensive tackle John McCargo was pegged by Buffalo.
"I'm here to play football," said Williams, NC State's all-time sacks leader with 25. "You can't let the pressure break you. Being around a great coaching staff, I know everyone will help me out. I'll learn my role, get the hang of things and learn how to be a pro; learn how to be a Texan."
More school history was then made on Sunday when linebacker Stephen Tulloch (Tennessee - 4th round), cornerback Marcus Hudson (San Francisco - 6th round), and tight end T.J. Williams (6th round - Tampa Bay) gave NC State a program record six draft picks overall.
The old record was last set in 1991 when a total of five players - Jesse Campbell, Mike Jones, Joe Johnson, Fernandus Vinson, and Elijah Austin were drafted. But even the old record is somewhat skewed since the '91 draft went 12 rounds deep compared to just seven rounds today. Austin was a 12th round pick of the Browns 15 years ago.
The 1980 team also had five draft picks with center Jim Ritcher, tackle Chris Dietrich, cornerback Woodrow Wilson, receiver Lee Jukes and guard Chuck Stone all having their names called. But again, three of those players were selected after the seventh round in the old format.
If you include QB Philip Rivers (San Diego - 2004), WR Koren Robinson (Seattle - 2001), and WR Torry Holt (St. Louis - 1999), a total of six NC State players have been taken in the first round over the last seven years.
And how unusual is it that three NC State defensive linemen were taken in the first round on Saturday? Well, consider the fact that over the previous 15 years combined, a total of only four Wolfpack defensive linemen (Carl Reeves - 1995, Mark Thomas - 1992, Mike Jones - 1991, and Elijah Austin - 1991) had been drafted.
Mindless Punditry: As usual, draft pundits and talk show hosts - both local and national - failed to either think or do their homework before leveling criticism at NC State last weekend. Some wondered why the Wolfpack had won just five games in 2004 and seven in 2005 with three first-round picks from the defensive line and five defensive draftees overall.
In reality, had it not been for its dominant defenses both years, the Pack wouldn't have even won that many games. With McCargo healthy and playing every game in 2004, NC State had the top-ranked defense in the entire country. And although McCargo missed most of last season with a foot injury, the Wolfpack defense yielded just 298 yards per game, a figure that ranked third in the ACC and 8th nationally.
Hall to Tennessee: Tramain Hall was the first of NC State's undrafted seniors to land a free agent deal on Monday when he signed with Tennessee. A slot receiver in college, Hall may be searching for a position on the NFL level. At 5-11, 190 pounds, he may be hard-pressed to fit in as a wide receiver, but his experience playing special teams at NC State could give him a shot to make the roster. After making 69 catches for 799 yards and seven touchdowns with Philip Rivers at quarterback in 2003, Hall's production fell off the last two seasons when he made 28 and 25 receptions, respectively.
More Position Changes: Lawson may see some action at both outside linebacker and defensive end with the 49rs, but neither position will be foreign to him. The speedy Lawson spent most of his first two seasons at linebacker before making the switch to fulltime defensive end.
"I'm a linebacker who has now gone against 330-pound guys who weighed 100 and something pounds more than me because I played defensive end. So I'm going to be able to hold my own against the rush and hold my own against tight ends. Also, you now have someone who can run some with the backfield and cover tight ends."
It appears Marcus Hudson will also be making a change to a familiar position since the 49rs have him listed as a safety. A corner his freshman year, Hudson moved to free safety as a junior before switching back to corner last season.
