NC State will have four players participating in the Reese’s Senior Bowl this week in Mobile, Ala. The game will be played Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on NFL Network. It is generally considered the top showcase game for NFL Draft prospects.
Here is a look at those four players, where they stand according to a few analysts heading into the week, and what they're already shown after the official weigh-in and first practice:
Center/guard Garrett Bradbury
Height: 6-2 7/8
Weight: 304 pounds
Arm Length: 32 1/2 inches
Hands: 10 5/8 inches
Wingspan: 76 1/4 inches
Draft Countdown Position Ranking: No. 4 C
Dane Brugler of The Athletic's Position Rankings: No. 2 Interior lineman
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah's Top 50 ranking: No. 41 overall (No. 1 center)
Overview: NC State’s consensus All-American and the winner of the Rimington Trophy seems like a safe bet to be among the first interior linemen selected in the draft. The question is, can he use this week to propel himself into a potential day-one selection?
What could help Bradbury out is that he started for a season at guard before making the move to center, a fact noted by Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, whose staff is coaching Bradbury’s team. Some analysts believe that Bradbury is strictly a center in a zone-blocking scheme.
Jim Nagy, the executive director of the Senior Bowl, raved about Bradbury.
“He was so much fun to watch just in terms of being able to get out and pull and move and play in space,” Nagy said, according to the Charlotte Observer. “Zone-blocking teams are going to love this guy. His initial quickness is off the charts. I remember just him reaching three-technique [defensive linemen] — he makes it look so easy. There’s been some players where you’ve really got to grind through some tape to really get a feel, where Garrett Bradbury kind of jumped right out with what his skill set is and what he was good at.
“Digging in, I didn’t realize he wasn’t a lineman at one time because he’s got really nice feel, takes great angles, sees things really well. I think he’s a center only. He’s not the biggest guy in the world, and that would really hurt him if he were projecting as a backup, but someone’s going to draft that guy to be the starter.”
Bradbury confirmed to The Observer he has met with his hometown Carolina Panthers.
Quarterback Ryan Finley
Height: 6-4
Weight: 208 pounds
Arm Length: 32 3/4 inches
Hands: 9 3/8 inches
Wingspan: 77 inches
Draft Countdown Position Ranking: No. 7 QB
Dane Brugler of The Athletic's Position Rankings: No. 6 QB
Career Stats (at NC State): 880-of-1,364 passing (64.5 percent) for 10,501 yards and 60 touchdowns with 25 interceptions
Overview: Finley will likely win praise for his accuracy and football IQ as he goes through the draft process. The questions he will need to answer is he strong enough to hold up in the NFL and make all the throws into tight windows.
Finley’s hand size was middle-of-the-pack for the quarterbacks in attendance. Some scouts view that measurement as an indicator of ability to securely grip a football and sling it, especially when the weather turns colder throughout the football season. The 208 pounds he weighed in at was slightly less than his listed weight last fall of 212 pounds. The word skinny has been used throughout Finley’s career to describe his frame.
Finley’s first day at practice sounded like a mix bag, as Eric Galko of Optimum Scouting noted:
“In an overall rough day for North quarterbacks, NC State's Ryan Finley was the standout of the practice," he wrote. "Accurate, decisive and with great control/pace in individual drills, Finley looked the part of a capable NFL starter. He struggled in team situations and was a bit flummoxed under pressure, but he was the only North quarterback who displayed consistent accuracy on Day 1.”
Finley confirmed he has met with the Washington Redskins.
Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers
Height: 6-1 3/4
Weight: 196 pounds
Arm Length: 31 1/8 inches
Hands: 9 1/8 inches
Wingspan: 76 1/2 inches
Draft Countdown Position Ranking: No. 12 WR
Career Stats: 168 catches for 1,932 yards and nine touchdowns
Overview: Meyers was a late addition to the Senior Bowl after announcing he was turning pro in January (because he had already earned his degree, he was eligible). Of the four prospects from NC State in the game, Meyers probably stands the most to gain.
Meyers, who apparently met with the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts already this week, showed what he could do in the slot at NC State. He will probably have more of a chance to work on the outside this week. Meyers earned some good reviews in day one of practice at the Senior Bowl.
Linebacker Germaine Pratt
Height: 6-2 1/2
Weight: 240 pounds
Arm Length: 31 5/8 inches
Hands: 9 inches
Wingspan: 74 7/8 inches
Draft Countdown Position Ranking: No. 4 ILB
Dane Brugler of The Athletic’s Position Rankings: No. 5 LB
Career Stats: 235 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, six sacks, four interceptions (one pick-six), nine passes defended, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries
Overview: Pratt skipped NC State’s bowl game to get ready for the NFL Draft. During measurements, Pratt passed the eyeball test. Now he hopes to match it with his play. He entered the Senior Bowl with plenty of intrigue after a strong senior season during which he was named first-team All-ACC.
Like Meyers, Pratt can probably improve his stock quite a bit, but his senior season may have already played him into a top three-round selection.
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