NC State Football
Does NC State Boast the Best Defense in the ACC?
We are through 10 weeks of the 2022 College Football season, and I want to take a moment to examine if NC State boasts the best defense in the ACC.
Through 10 weeks, the Wolfpack rank 1st in Scoring Defense, 1st in Rushing Defense, 1st in Defensive Passing Efficiency Rating, 1st in Interceptions, 1st in Opponent 1st Downs, 1st in Opponent 3rd Down Conversions, 3rd in Total Defense, 6th in Passing Defense, and 13th in Sacks.
Obviously, whether or not you think NC State has the best defense in the ACC, depends on which statistics you value the most.
Personally, and maybe my opinion is biased, but I say YES.
For me, Scoring Defense matters more than Total Defense. I’d love to rank 1st in Total Defense, but at the end of the day, it matters whether or not your defense is allowing the opponent to score.
Also, I’d love to rank 1st in Passing Defense, but the reality is, opponents can’t run against the Wolfpack Rush Defense, which leads to other teams throwing more. With that in mind, how you are disrupting the efficiency of the opponents passing game matters most to me, and the Wolfpack rank 1st in Defensive Passing Efficiency Rating, and 1st in interceptions.
Lastly, Sacks are great, but ranking 13th in the category doesn’t mean that the opposing Quarterack is having all the time in the world to throw. NC State’s blitz packages are putting constant pressure on opposing QB’s, which leads to Interceptions and low Efficiency numbers.
Defensive Coordinator Tony Gibson has done a heck of a job thus far in 2022.
Scoring Defense
Rushing Defense
First Down Defense
3rd Down Defense
Defensive Passing Efficiency Rating
Interceptions
Total Defense
Passing Defense
Sacks
NC State Football
NC State Ranks 8th in Players Selected in the NFL Draft in the ACC in the Last 10 Years
The 2024 NFL Draft has come and gone, and NC State had two players drafted: Linebacker Payton Wilson in the 3rd round, and Center Dylan McMahon in the 6th round.
Over the past 10 years, NC State has produced 25 NFL Draft picks, and 3 1st round picks. The 25 Draft Picks ranks 8th in the ACC, and the 3 1st Round picks is tied for 7th.
NC State produced 18 NFL Draft Picks in the first 5 Draft’s of Dave Doeren’s tenure. Only 8 Wolfpack players have been selected in the past 5 NFL Drafts.
Players selected in the NFL Draft under Dave Doeren:
2024
Payton Wilson, LB – Pittsburgh – 3rd – 98th
Dylan McMahon, C – Philadelphia – 6th – 190th
NC State Cornerback Shyheim Battle has received an invitation from the New York Jets to participate in their Rookie Mini Camp.
NC State’s Shyheim Battle has been invited to rookie mini camp with the Jets with the opportunity to earn a priority free agent contract. #ncstate #NFLDraft #wpn
— Pat Welter WRAL (@PatrickWelter) April 28, 2024
Battle had 1 year of eligibility remaining, but declared for the NFL Draft on January 3rd.
He finished this past year as the most experienced player on the Wolfpack’s defense, starting in 41 of the 51 games he has played in dating back to 2019. In a rarity in this day-and-age, Battle was a 4-year starter at the Cornerback position for NC State. He graduated with a degree in Communications.
In his final season in Red and White, Battle had 46 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 4 pass breakups and 1 fumble recovery. His PFF Grade of 70.6 was the 7th best on the Wolfpack defense.
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