NFL.com Bios: Dayes | Jones | Tocho
NFL Combine Highlights: Dayes | Jones | Tocho
RALEIGH, N.C. – This week marks the culmination of what is perhaps the most detailed job interview a young man will ever go through. By this time next week, several members of the 2016 Wolfpack football team will be trading in red and white for the colors of their new NFL team.
These players began building their resume the first day they stepped on a practice field at NC State, but the 'interview process' began in earnest in January. NFL scouts attend Wolfpack practices frequently, come to games at home and on the road, and watch film of every prospect, but as soon as these draft-eligible players played their last collegiate snap, they also began to work out with individual teams, meet with NFL personal, take various tests, and answer a multitude of questions about their acumen, attitudes and abilities.
This weekend, the Wolfpack's NFL hopefuls, as well as hundreds of young men around the country, will find out the who their employer will be, as the 2017 NFL Draft begins in Philadelphia. Round 1 will be held Thursday, followed by Rounds 2-3 on Friday and Rounds 4-7 on Saturday.
The Wolfpack contingent in the upcoming draft will be headlined by a trio of players who took part in the NFL Combine back in early March.
RB Matthew Dayes and CB Jack Tocho were familiar faces for Wolfpack fans each of the past four seasons. Safety Josh Jones had an impressive junior season at safety in 2016, and decided to forgo his final year of eligibility.
Dayes was a workhorse for the Pack this past season in the backfield, as he became NC State's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2002 and his total of 1,166 rushing yards was second-best among running backs in the ACC. He also rushed for 10 touchdowns, and totaled 22 combined TDs his final two seasons.
Tocho broke onto the scene when he recorded a pair of interceptions as a true freshman in a home game against Syracuse back in 2013. He went on to become one of the Pack's leaders in the secondary, with 33 starts over the last three seasons.
Jones led the Pack in tackles last season with a career-best 109, including 62 solo stops, an increase from his total of 63 overall tackles in 2015. Jones also led the squad in interceptions, picking off three in 2016.
Since the NFL Combine and NC State's own Pro Day back on March 20th, Jones has seen his stock rise and has been routinely mentioned as an early round pick at safety.
Last year, three former members of the Pack saw their names called in the first four rounds of the NFL Draft, and all ended up earning playing time in their rookie campaigns.
In a span of 14 draft picks in the third round last year, the New England Patriots selected a pair of former Wolfpack teammates – OL Joe Thuney and QB Jacoby Brissett. One day later, CB Juston Burris was a fourth-round pick of the New York Jets.
Thuney started every game at left guard as a rookie, and also played the most snaps among all of New England's offensive players. Brissett was called into action early in the season, starting a pair of games under center. The duo helped the Patriots win their second Super Bowl in the last three seasons.
Burris saw action in all 16 games for the Jets. He started the Week 15 contest against Miami, and recorded his first career INT in that contest.
NC State has received a lot of buzz around the NFL this offseason already, cementing its claim as QBU after Mike Glennon signed to become the starter for the Chicago Bears.
Glennon arrives in Chicago after starting 18 games in his first four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Along with Glennon, the Wolfpack three current NFL starting QBS: Philip Rivers (176 career starts – every game dating back to 2006) of the Los Angeles Chargers and Russell Wilson (80 career starts – every game in his five seasons) in Seattle.
NC State leads the NFL with three former players as starting QBs entering draft weekend, and only three other schools have more then one among the 32 NFL squads.
In addition to the three former Pack QBs as starters in the NFL, Brissett went on to win a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots.
Over the last two summers those four have signed NFL contracts totaling $219.26 million, and they will combine to make an estimated $58.6 million in 2017.
NFL Combine Highlights: Dayes | Jones | Tocho
RALEIGH, N.C. – This week marks the culmination of what is perhaps the most detailed job interview a young man will ever go through. By this time next week, several members of the 2016 Wolfpack football team will be trading in red and white for the colors of their new NFL team.
These players began building their resume the first day they stepped on a practice field at NC State, but the 'interview process' began in earnest in January. NFL scouts attend Wolfpack practices frequently, come to games at home and on the road, and watch film of every prospect, but as soon as these draft-eligible players played their last collegiate snap, they also began to work out with individual teams, meet with NFL personal, take various tests, and answer a multitude of questions about their acumen, attitudes and abilities.
This weekend, the Wolfpack's NFL hopefuls, as well as hundreds of young men around the country, will find out the who their employer will be, as the 2017 NFL Draft begins in Philadelphia. Round 1 will be held Thursday, followed by Rounds 2-3 on Friday and Rounds 4-7 on Saturday.
The Wolfpack contingent in the upcoming draft will be headlined by a trio of players who took part in the NFL Combine back in early March.
RB Matthew Dayes and CB Jack Tocho were familiar faces for Wolfpack fans each of the past four seasons. Safety Josh Jones had an impressive junior season at safety in 2016, and decided to forgo his final year of eligibility.
Dayes was a workhorse for the Pack this past season in the backfield, as he became NC State's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2002 and his total of 1,166 rushing yards was second-best among running backs in the ACC. He also rushed for 10 touchdowns, and totaled 22 combined TDs his final two seasons.
Tocho broke onto the scene when he recorded a pair of interceptions as a true freshman in a home game against Syracuse back in 2013. He went on to become one of the Pack's leaders in the secondary, with 33 starts over the last three seasons.
Jones led the Pack in tackles last season with a career-best 109, including 62 solo stops, an increase from his total of 63 overall tackles in 2015. Jones also led the squad in interceptions, picking off three in 2016.
Since the NFL Combine and NC State's own Pro Day back on March 20th, Jones has seen his stock rise and has been routinely mentioned as an early round pick at safety.
Josh Jones has been a big riser in the pre-#NFLDraft process. Guru @dpbrugler thinks Jones is a second-rounder: https://t.co/6QP4rVJdFp
— Ryan Tice (@RyanTice) April 12, 2017
Last year, three former members of the Pack saw their names called in the first four rounds of the NFL Draft, and all ended up earning playing time in their rookie campaigns.
In a span of 14 draft picks in the third round last year, the New England Patriots selected a pair of former Wolfpack teammates – OL Joe Thuney and QB Jacoby Brissett. One day later, CB Juston Burris was a fourth-round pick of the New York Jets.
Thuney started every game at left guard as a rookie, and also played the most snaps among all of New England's offensive players. Brissett was called into action early in the season, starting a pair of games under center. The duo helped the Patriots win their second Super Bowl in the last three seasons.
Congratulations to our #PackPros@JBrissett12 & @JosephThuney
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) February 6, 2017
Rookie seasons end with a ??#SuperBowlpic.twitter.com/OPzYLNgGes
Burris saw action in all 16 games for the Jets. He started the Week 15 contest against Miami, and recorded his first career INT in that contest.
?? 7pm tonight is @JdotBurris32 tshirt launch time! ?? pic.twitter.com/ik1ROQvv2F
— NYJetsFans (@JetsFanMedia) April 17, 2017
NC State has received a lot of buzz around the NFL this offseason already, cementing its claim as QBU after Mike Glennon signed to become the starter for the Chicago Bears.
Glennon arrives in Chicago after starting 18 games in his first four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Along with Glennon, the Wolfpack three current NFL starting QBS: Philip Rivers (176 career starts – every game dating back to 2006) of the Los Angeles Chargers and Russell Wilson (80 career starts – every game in his five seasons) in Seattle.
NC State leads the NFL with three former players as starting QBs entering draft weekend, and only three other schools have more then one among the 32 NFL squads.
In addition to the three former Pack QBs as starters in the NFL, Brissett went on to win a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots.
Over the last two summers those four have signed NFL contracts totaling $219.26 million, and they will combine to make an estimated $58.6 million in 2017.
— Eliah Drinkwitz (@CoachDrinkwitz) March 10, 2017
