NC State Ranks 12th in NFL Defensive Line Production Over the Last 5 Years

Over the last five NFL seasons, former NC State defensive linemen rank 12th nationally in overall NFL production.

Let that sink in.

In a metric-heavy era where development and results matter more than recruiting stars, NC State continues to quietly stack NFL production in the trenches.

Here’s how the Wolfpack compares nationally, based on cumulative sacks, tackles for loss, tackles, forced fumbles, and passes defended from 2021–2025.

NC State’s NFL Defensive Line Contributors (Last 5 Seasons)

Over that stretch, eight former NC State defensive linemen have logged meaningful production in the league:

• BJ Hill: 20 sacks, 24 TFL’s, 291 tackles, 1 FF, 13 PD’s
• Alim McNeill: 12.5 sacks, 24 TFL’s, 151 tackles, 3 FF’s, 4 PD’s
• Kentavius Street: 10.5 sacks, 22 TFL’s, 110 tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD’s
• Justin Jones: 10.5 sacks, 28 TFL’s, 142 tackles, 9 PD’s
• James Smith-Williams: 7.5 sacks, 18 TFL’s, 99 tackles, 2 PD’s
• Larrell Murchison: 4 sacks, 6 TFL’s, 40 tackles
• Cory Durden: 6 TFL’s, 43 tackles
• T.Y. McGill: 2 TFL’s, 14 tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD

The list above reveals that recruiting rankings matter, and they also don’t matter if you know how to develop talent. Hill, McNeill, Street, Jones and Durden were 4-star prospects in high school. On the other hand, Smith-Williams and McGill were 2-star prospects, and Murchison was a JUCO transfer.

This isn’t the story of one superstar carrying the numbers. This is depth, longevity, and development.

NC State sits ahead of several traditional bluebloods on this list, trailing only programs like Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan, and Clemson – schools that recruit at an elite national level every year, and have big bucks to spend.

NC State continues to punch above its weight in the NFL trenches.