NC State Football: Top 3 prospects for 2021 NFL Draft

If there’s one position group for NC State that has excelled over the past few years, it would have to be the defensive line. In fact, the Wolfpack have had six defensive linemen drafted over the past three classes including Larrell Murchison and James Smith-Williams as the lone draft picks for NC State in 2020.

Alim McNeill should be the next Wolfpack defensive lineman to hear his name called in the NFL draft as he enters his junior season as arguably the best pro prospect on that side of the ball.

As a freshman in 2018, he had an immediate impact on a defensive line that lost basically everyone to the NFL draft just months earlier. He played in 11 games, had 24 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He was one of the budding stars on the roster and he remained consistent the following year. He finished with 28 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

Now entering his junior year, he could be a candidate to leave early as he already has the build at 6-foot-2 and 315 pounds. He’s a load to handle on the interior and has a knack for creating havoc and taking up space.