All three Triangle ACC football teams had players picked in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft.
North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye came first off the board, getting selected third overall by the New England Patriots on Thursday night. Only USC’s Caleb Williams and Heisman winner Jayden Daniels from LSU went ahead of Maye.
Later Thursday evening, Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton went No. 26 overall to the Tampa Buccaneers, which play in the same division as the Carolina Panthers.
It took until deep into the third round to hear another name from a North Carolina-based school. Duke defensive tackle DeWayne Carter earned the No. 95 pick by the Buffalo Bills.
Three picks later, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected NC State linebacker Payton Wilson at No. 98.
Wilson was not expected to fall that far, creating a buzz during Friday night draft coverage on ESPN and ABC. The consensus All-American, who won the Butkus and Bednarik awards after the 2023 season, was thought by some to be first-round material.
Apparently, Wilson’s injury issues (shoulder, knee) held teams back from drafting him sooner. But Wilson played healthy in 2022 and 2023, and former Alabama coach Nick Saban included Wilson on his all-defense draft board during ESPN’s coverage.
While the pick number might have been lower than hoped, the fit could be ideal for Wilson. The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been known for their hard-nosed play, under former coach Bill Cowher (himself an NC State standout) and current coach Mike Tomlin.
Rounds 4-7 of the NFL Draft will continue on Saturday. Other players from North Carolina schools who could hear their name called Saturday include UNC’s Tez Walker (WR) and Cedric Gray (ILB), Wake Forest’s Caelen Carson (CB) and Malik Mustapha (S), NC State’s Dylan McMahon (OL) and Duke’s Jacob Monk (OL) among others. North Carolina Central quarterback Davius Richard, the two-time MEAC player of the year, is one of the top HBCU players under consideration.
Running back Jordan Terrell from Division II Barton College, one of the NCAA’s leading rushers in all divisions, also is hoping for a late-round pick or camp invite this weekend.
