4/13/2020 football Edit

NC State mock draft analysis

Matt Carter • TheWolfpackCentral

Editor

It is less than two weeks before the NFL Draft, in whatever unusual form it will come this year.

The first round is held on Thursday, April 23, followed by rounds two and three Friday. On Saturday, the final four rounds will take place.

Barring a major surprise, this will be the first time in three years that NC State football will not have a first-round selection. Defensive end Bradley Chubb was picked in the first round in 2018 by the Denver Broncos with the fifth overall pick. Center Garrett Bradbury was selected No. 18 overall by the Minnesota Vikings last year.

There seems to be one safe bet from NC State to be picked in the middle rounds, and another strong possibility towards the end of the draft.

Larrell Murchison

The 6-2.5, 297-pounder did well at the NFL Combine, clocking the 40-yard dash in 5.05 seconds and registering a 29.0-inch vertical leap. He also did 29 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press, tied for fifth best among the defensive linemen there.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Murchison to Tanzel Smart, a rotational defensive tackle who has played the past three seasons for the Los Angeles Rams.

“Early into his evaluation, it's hard to get past the tight lower body that restricts his upfield and lateral strides with his feet barely leaving the ground," Zierlein wrote. “As the tape rolls on, it’s impossible not to notice his motor and that he’s always around the ball and rarely on the ground.

“Murchison has the ability to battle through blocks and come out well-oriented and ready to make plays. He’s quick to process and respond, but doesn't have great closing burst and lateral agility. He thrives in smaller spaces with less ground to cover and should become a good rotational three-technique for a 4-3 defense.”

The latest round of projections all tend to have Murchison going around the fourth or fifth round. USA Today’s Draft Wire (pick No. 131 to the Arizona Cardinals), Sporting News (pick No. 140 to the Jacksonville Jaguars) and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler all pegged Murchison as fourth-round material, although Brugler was not in a mock draft form but in his initial scouting report.

“Murchison doesn’t have the length or explosive traits that evaluators usually bet on, but he has obvious pass rush potential due to his quickness, timing and relentless hustle, projecting as a rotational three-technique tackle,” Brugler wrote.

Brugler did do a seven-round mock draft on Monday morning that had Murchison going in the fifth round with the No. 169 overall pick to the New Orleans Saints.

Interestingly, if you look at the picks surrounding Murchison in both the USA Today and Sporting News’ seven-round mock drafts, you will see a familiar name and former Wolfpack player — LSU tight end Thaddeus Moss.

Pro Football Network (No. 150 to the New York Giants) and CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards (No. 156 to the San Francisco 49ers) both have Murchison going in the fifth round.

James Smith-Williams

Whereas Murchison is the safe bet to be picked in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft, Smith-Williams is the wild card. There is far from a consensus that he will be selected, but a good amount of mock drafters believe that a team will take a chance on Smith-Williams' athleticism near the end.

That athleticism was on display at the NFL Combine, when Smith-Williams wowed observers with a 4.6-second 40-yard dash time at nearly 6-4 and 265 pounds. However, Smith-Williams’ history of injuries, which especially stunted his development as a fifth-year senior, are the reason why NFL teams may be cautionary in their evaluation of the Raleigh native.

USA Today (pick No. 232 to the Pittsburgh Steelers), CBS Sports’ Edwards (No. 243 to the Tennessee Titans), Bleacher Report (No. 224 to the Titans) and Pro Football Network (No. 223 to the Arizona Cardinals) all have Smith-Williams going in the seventh round.

Brugler was most optimistic about Smith-Williams’ prospects, having him go in the sixth round with pick No. 202 to the Arizona Cardinals.

“Smith-Williams looks the part and has rangy athleticism, but mostly in a straight line and that doesn’t always translate to rushing off the edge,” Brugler wrote.

Brugler also added, “Smith-Williams has sterling character and owns a few individual traits that translate well to the NFL, but he has struggled to stay on the field and must streamline his pass rush skills to stick on a pro roster.”