The Wolfpacker's NC State All-NFL defense team

NC State football has a long history of impressive defensive players, many of whom went on to have lengthy NFL careers.

The Wolfpacker took a look at who would be on NC State's all-time NFL defensive team, using a 3-4 alignment, with 10-year veteran Manny Lawson as the hybrid pass-rushing outside linebacker. Naturally, the defense would be coached by long-time NFL defensive coordinator and former Wolfpack head coach Monte Kiffin.

The competition was fierce at a few positions, especially with young players such as outside linebacker Bradley Chubb of the Denver Broncos, linebacker Germaine Pratt of the Cincinnati Bengals and defensive tackle Justin Jones of the Los Angeles Chargers starting to establish themselves for the future.

There could be some shake-up one day, but for now, here's our our look at the best defensive Pack Pros by position, based solely on their NFL careers:

Williams became the first ACC player to ever be selected the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, going to the Houston Texans in 2006. He played six years with Houston, four with the Buffalo Bills and ended his career with the Miami Dolphins in 2016.

Williams is 36th in NFL history with 97.5 career sacks and 19th in league history with 121 career tackles for loss. He earned four Pro Bowl appearances — 2008-09 and 2013-14 — plus was voted first-team All-Pro by The Associated Press in 2014. The same media organization named him second team in 2007 and 2013. Williams finished his career with 399 tackles, 16 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries in 158 career games (150 starts).

Williams tallied at least 10 sacks in five different years, with a career-high 14.5 to go along with 42 tackles and 19 tackles for loss for the Bills in 2014. He notched a career-high 59 tackles, which included 14 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in his second year with the Texans.

Agnew and Mario Williams tied for the longest NFL careers among former NC State defensive linemen with 11 years.

The New England Patriots selected Agnew with the No. 10 overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft. He enjoyed a five-year stint with the Patriots, and then played three seasons apiece with the New York Giants and St. Louis Rams before retiring in 2000.

Agnew topped 60-plus tackles in three years, including a career-high 65 stops (including a sack) in his first year for the Giants in 1995. He enjoyed arguably his best statistical season when he had 64 tackles, five sacks, one interception, a forced fumble and one fumble recovery in his first year with the Rams in 1998. He followed up by starting all 16 games on the Super Bowl-winning Rams squad in 1999, recording 35 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

Agnew is currently the director of pro personnel for the Los Angeles Rams.

The 6-4, 290-pound Jones had a nine-year NFL career, after being drafted in the second round with the No. 32 overall pick by the then-Phoenix Cardinals in 1991. Jones played his first three years with the Cardinals, four with the New England Patriots and then finished up with a year apiece with the St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans.

He finished with 27.5 career sacks and started 74 out of 135 games during his nine-year career, which ended in 1999. Jones posted arguably his best season with 45 tackles, six sacks and one fumble recovery while starting all 16 games for the Patriots in 1994.

The versatile Lawson, who was 6-5 and 240 pounds, went in the first round at No. 22 to the San Francisco 49ers during the 2006 NFL Draft. He spent five years with the 49ers, two with the Cincinnati Bengals and then finished up playing three seasons with the Buffalo Bills before retiring in 2015.

Lawson started the majority of games in eight of his 10 years, with an injury limiting him to two contests his second year. He notched his best season with 73 tackles, four sacks, 10 tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery with the Bills in 2013. He also had 68 tackles, 6.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss with the 49ers in 2009.

Lawson started 110 of the 143 games he played in and accumulated 471 career tackles, 24.5 sacks, 58 tackles for loss, four interceptions, six fumble recoveries and eight forced fumbles.

Johnson was part of one of the most dominant linebacking crews in NFL history, playing with Rickey Jackson, Patrick Swilling and Sam Mills on the New Orleans Saints' "Dome Patrol."

The 6-3, 235-pound Johnson, who passed away Dec. 12, 2019, earned Pro Bowl berths in four different years. The Associated Press named him second-team All-Pro in 1989, and other media publications recognized his performances from 1987-91.

Johnson was the 15th overall pick of the first round in the 1984 NFL supplemental draft, but first played in the USFL with the Jacksonville Bulls (1984-85). He joined the Saints in 1986, and broke into the starting lineup in his second year. The inside linebacker then started seven straight years with the Saints, and topped 100 tackles three times.

He retired in 1994 after one year with the Philadelphia Eagles. Johnson started 98 of 124 career games and accumulated 669 career tackles, 12 sacks, four interceptions, 11 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.

In April 2017, we dubbed Johnson the greatest NFL defender to ever come out of NC State, and that distinction still stands.

The decorated Tulloch was drafted in the fourth round with the 116th overall pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2006. He played his first five years with the Titans, and then five seasons with the Detroit Lions, before he finished with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016.

The 5-11, 245-pounder was a tackling machine and team leader throughout his NFL career. He had at least 107 tackles in six out of seven years from 2009-15, with an ACL tear preventing it from happening in that one season (2014). He racked up an astonishing 160 tackles and added six tackles for loss, one sack and one interception during his last year with the Titans in 2010.

Tulloch finished with 135 tackles, 3.5 sacks and one interception during his best season with the Lions in 2013. He started 113 of 159 career games, and finished with 959 career tackles, 60 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, five interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries.

Houston was a third-round NFL Draft pick (No. 75 overall) by the Green Bay Packers in 1990, but he lasted just one season in the land of cheese. He then solidified his spot in the NFL by playing with the New York Jets from 1991-96 at outside linebacker.

Houston became a starter in his third season, and went on a five-year run with the Jets. He had a career-high 83 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 1994. The 6-2, 242-pounder played with the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers in 1997, and then wrapped up his career with the Minnesota Vikings in 1998.

Houston started 76 of 109 career games, and made 327 tackles, 14.5 sacks, four interceptions (one returned for a score), six forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries.

The long-time New York Giants performer won Super Bowl rings in both 1986 and 1990.

Williams, who was also a track standout at NC State, was selected in the seventh round by the Giants in the 1983 NFL Draft. He started right away for legendary head coach Bill Parcells, and went on to be the primary starter in seven seasons of his career (1984-93).

Williams finished with 18 interceptions, which he returned for 79 yards, eight fumble recoveries and five sacks in 146 career games (122 starts). He had four interceptions during the first Super Bowl season, and he had three picks in his reserve role in 1990.

The decorated Washington was the 18th overall pick in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings in 1994. The Durham, N.C., native played with four NFL teams from 1994-2005, including four years with the Vikings and six with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Washington was an instant hit and was named to the NFL All-Rookie team in 1994, and he was a starter every year of his 12-year career except for his last.

The 5-11, 193-pounder signed with the Steelers as a free agent prior to the 1998 season and had his best statistical season in his first year with the club, when he finished with 93 tackles, five interceptions for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

Washington had seven career defensive touchdowns. He finished up his NFL days with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2004 and Kansas City Chiefs in 2005. Washington started 171 of the 191 games he played in and tallied 807 career tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 31 interceptions, which he returned for 569 yards and five touchdowns. He also scored twice on seven recovered fumbles.

Some players have the gift of being in the right place at the right time, and Scarpati had that ability. The 5-10, 185-pounder played seven years in the pros — six with the Philadelphia Eagles — and snagged 25 interceptions for 406 yards and three touchdowns in 96 games played.

The former NC State halfback was selected in the 13th round of the AFL Draft by the Boston Patriots in 1964, but was an NFL free agent. The safety quickly made his way into the Eagles' starting lineup, and broke out in 1966 with eight interceptions for 182 return yards, plus two fumble recoveries. He ranked second in the NFL for interceptions and led the league in return yards.

Scarpati is currently tied for eighth on the Eagles’ all-time interceptions list. He finished his career with the New Orleans Saints, and was the holder on the famous 63-yard field goal by Tom Dempsey on Nov. 8, 1970.

Wilson entered the NFL as a physical freak in many ways, and was much bigger than most safeties in those days at 6-3 and 230 pounds. After the Arizona Cardinals selected him in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft, he broke into the starting lineup in his second season and never let go of the spot.

Wilson was the starter in all but his rookie year in his lengthy career, which went from 2001-12. Wilson finished with 903 career tackles, 81 tackles for loss, 95 passes defended, 27 interceptions for 508 yards, 25.5 sacks, 15 forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

He topped 100 tackles in back-to-back years in 2004-05, and snared a career-high five interceptions in 2009. The five-time team captain set an NFL record for defensive backs with eight sacks in 2005, and was the sixth in league history to join the 25 sack/25 interception club.

Wilson was named to the Pro Bowl five times, and was dubbed first-team All-Pro in 2009 by The Associated Press, and was a second-team All-Pro by the AP in 2006 and 2008. He is now the director of pro scouting for the Cardinals, and

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