ProFootballFocus released their midseason NFL awards, and former NC State quarterback Russell Wilson earned MVP honors:
Most Valuable Player
Winner: Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Monday Night Football made up my mind on this choice, with Russell Wilson bolting from the pack to earn the midseason MVP award at the last gasp. It’s a tight race, with multiple players having strong cases, but what Russell Wilson has been able to do given his offensive line’s “protection”—not to mention with an injured ankle—has been ridiculous. He currently sits fourth in PFF’s QB rankings with a grade of 87.9, but the Seahawks hold the lowest pass-blocking grade as a unit in the entire league, and only four QBs have been under pressure at a greater rate than Wilson (38.1 percent of his dropbacks). His performance on Monday night was a perfect example of how his play has mitigated that pressure, putting the ball in the air early to the right spot and allowing his receivers to go and make a play before the pressure arrives.
Matthew is Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, and is in charge of business strategy. He is an NC State alum who majored in business. Matthew is also the lead pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.
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
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.
In his one season in Raleigh, Narveson made 18 of his 23 Field Goal attempts for the Wolfpack, and made all 38 Extra Point attempts. Narveson made some history in his one season at NC State, kicking a 57-yard Field Goal against Duke, breaking the school record for the longest Field Goal.
Narveson ranked 4th in the ACC in Field Goals attempted (23), and 5th in Field Goals made (18) this season. He ranked 9th in conference in scoring (7.1 points per game).
Last season as a Senior, Jackson had 40 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks in 12 games for the Wolfpack. His Run Defense grade on PFF was 80.6, ranking 4th on the team.
so, he’s not a custodian of a prolific offense?