While NC State may be known as a D-line school, it has actually turned out some pretty good talent in recent years on the same side of the ball in both the secondary and linebacker positions. Several of those Pack Pros who are in the league now made significant improvements in the 2020 season and will look for continued improvement in 2021.
Juston Burris, safety, Carolina Panthers
Coming off what was perhaps his most productive season thus far, Burris enters the sixth year of his NFL career and second with the Panthers. The Raleigh native started 12 games last season, the most he has started in his career, recording an interception and a career-best 53 combined tackles.
Burris is in the second year of his two-year contract with the Panthers, which may give him extra incentive to play well, and will look to help a team that recorded the second-fewest interceptions in the league in 2020. He is currently listed as the starting free safety.
Dontae Johnson, cornerback, San Francisco 49ers
After splitting time between the practice squad and the active roster last season, Johnson will be in his second consecutive year with the 49ers and eighth in the NFL. He appeared in 16 games last season, recording 23 combined tackles, including his first career sack of fellow NC State alum Russell Wilson. He was part of one of the better pass defenses in the NFL, which gave up the fourth-least amount of passing yards per game.
Since starting all 16 games in the 2017 season, Johnson had not started a game until last season when he started three. He was a part of the 2019 49ers team that made it to the Super Bowl before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. Johnson is currently listed as the third-string left cornerback on the 49ers roster. With the uncertainty surrounding teammate and fellow cornerback Richard Sherman, the 49ers may need Johnson to play some big minutes off the bench once again.
Josh Jones, safety, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jones is another player coming off his most productive NFL season thus far, starting 13 games and recording a career-best 83 combined tackles. He will be in his second year with the Jaguars and fifth in the league.
Despite a productive 2020 season, Jones will likely see his playing time decrease this season as the Jags added three new safeties in the offseason. He is currently listed as the third-string free safety.
Germaine Pratt, linebacker, Cincinnati Bengals
In his second year in the NFL, Germaine Pratt started 15 of 16 games for the Bengals, recording 89 total tackles, which was good for fourth on the team, and 5.5 tackles for loss, which was tied for second on the team. Overall, the Bengals had one of the worst rushing defenses in the league last season, allowing the fourth-most rushing yards per game, which was actually a slight improvement from the year prior in which they allowed the most rushing yards per game.
Pratt is a part of a young Bengals linebacking core that consists of two other starters that were drafted in 2020. He is currently listed as the starting middle linebacker and will look to make continued improvements in 2021.
