Following the first three rounds that saw defensive linemen Bradley Chubb (first round, pick five, Denver Broncos), B.J. Hill (third round, pick 69, New York Giants) and Justin Jones (third round, pick 84, Los Angeles Chargers) selected, NC State set the program record for most players taken in a single draft with three more players drafted in the fourth round and one in the fifth.
Head coach Dave Doeren showed his recruiting success, as all four players selected on day three were local North Carolina products.
Starting in the fourth round, the Indianapolis Colts selected former NC State football running back Nyheim Hines with the 104th pick in the NFL Draft. The Garner native was the only running back at the combine to run a sub-4.40 40.
In three years at NC State, Hines contributed in many ways. He finished his career with 1400 rushing yards (1113 as a junior), 933 receiving yards (152 as a junior) and 14 touchdowns (12 as a junior).
He will join former teammate and NC State quarterback Jacoby Brissett with the Colts.
In back-to-back picks in the fourth round, the San Francisco 49ers took former Wolfpack defensive end Kentavius Street with the 128th pick, and the Jacksonville Jaguars selected former Wolfpack offensive tackle Will Richardson with the 129th pick.
Street started all 13 games as a senior for the Wolfpack, compiling 38 tackles, 6.5 for loss, 3.5 sacks, three pass break-ups and two fumble recoveries. The Greenville native started every game as a junior as well and became a viral sensation when a video of him squatting 700-pounds was posted last year.
Richardson, a 6-foot-6 306-pound offensive tackle, was a three-year starter for the Wolfpack and was rated by ProFootballFocus as the best pass-blocking tackle in the ACC in the 2017 season.
Finally, with the 28th pick in the fifth round the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Charlotte native and former Wolfpack fullback Jaylen Samuels.
One of the most versatile players in the draft, Samuels played a myriad of positions while setting the NC State record for most career games played on offense. His 201 career catches are an NC State record, while he also averaged 6.1 yards on 182 carries for his career and scored more than half of his 47 touchdowns on the ground.
The success of the 2017 NC State football team showed in the NFL Draft, with seven players taken, including four defensive lineman. Guard Tony Adams went as the only Pack player left undrafted. All of these players have the ability to make a huge impact on their new NFL teams. Doeren and his staff look to develop new talent for similar results in the upcoming seasons.
