Pack Pros: Payton Wilson makes NFL regular season debut

It did not take long for former NC State linebacker Payton Wilson to make an impact with the Pittsburgh Steelers in his NFL regular season debut Sunday afternoon. Wilson, who was used all over the field in the team’s 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons, made a touchdown-saving tackle on his first stop of the game.

The former Bednarik and Butkus Award winner logged three total tackles, all solo stops, in the Steelers’ season-opening victory. He was able to fly around the Pittsburgh defense in a rotational linebacker role to officially begin his professional career.

Steelers’ star linebacker TJ Watt was impressed with how Wilson played in his first taste of true NFL action on the road.

“The guy’s a gazelle,” Watt said in a postgame press conference. “He runs so fast. He’s sideline to sideline. He absorbs so much information, always taking down so much notes. I’m not surprised he had a good game today.”

While Wilson was able to show flashes of his potential at the NFL level, he was not the only former NC State player in action over the weekend. Here’s a look at how each Pack Pro did in their season openers.

Pack Pros in the NFL: Week 1

C Garrett Bradbury (played at NC State from 2015-18), #56 Minnesota Vikings: Bradbury played 55 snaps at center in the Vikings’ 28-6 win over the New York Giants.

QB Jacoby Brissett (2014-15), #14 New England Patriots: Brissett earned the start for the Patriots in Week 1. He was 15-of-24 passing for 121 yards in the team’s 16-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Brissett was sacked just once and logged a QBR of 82.4 in the victory.

OLB Bradley Chubb (2014-17), #2 Miami Dolphins: Chubb is currently on the Dolphins’ injured reserve and will miss at least the first four games of the 2024 season.

P A.J. Cole III (2015-18), #6 Las Vegas Raiders: Cole logged five punts for 265 yards in the Raiders’ 22-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He averaged 53 yards per punt with three kicks inside the 20-yard line. Cole had a long of 62 yards with one touchback in the loss.

DT Cory Durden (2021-22), #98 Los Angeles Rams: .Durden is on the Rams’ practice squad. He did not play in the season opener.

OT Ikem Ekwonu (2019-21), #79 Carolina Panthers: Ekwonu played 59 total snaps at tackle in the Panthers’ 47-10 loss at the New Orleans Saints.

WR Kelvin Harmon (2016-18), #84 Dallas Cowboys: Harmon is on the Cowboys’ practice squad for the 2024 season. He did not play in the team’s 33-17 win over the Cleveland Browns.

DL B.J. Hill Jr. (2014-17), #92 Cincinnati Bengals: Hill logged three total tackles, including one solo stop and a tackle for a loss, in the Bengals’ 16-10 loss to the New England Patriots and fellow Pack Pro Jacoby Brissett.

RB Nyheim Hines (2015-17), #22 Cleveland Browns: Hines is still recovering from his season-ending injury suffered last year. He will miss at least the first four weeks of the 2024 season.

S Tanner Ingle (2018-22), #34 Los Angeles Rams: Ingle is on the Rams’ practice squad. He did not play in the season opener.

DT Justin Jones (2014-17), #93 Arizona Cardinals: Jones made two tackles, including one solo stop, in the Cardinals’ 34-28 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He played 49 total snaps in the team’s season-opening defeat.

LB Vi Jones (2019-21), #53 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jones is on the Buccaneers’ practice squad for the 2024 season. He did not play in the team’s 37-20 win over the Washington Commanders.

CB Robert Kennedy III (2023), #40 Los Angeles Chargers: Kennedy is on the Chargers’ practice squad for the 2024 season. He did not play in the season opener.

DT T.Y. McGill Jr. (2011-14), #96 San Francisco 49ers: McGill is on the 49ers’ practice squad for the 2024 season.

C Dylan McMahon (2019-23), #63 Philadelphia Eagles: McMahon is on the Eagles’ practice squad for the 2024 season. He did not play in the season opener.

DT Alim McNeill (2018-20), #54 Detroit Lions: McNeill made one tackle in the Lions’ 26-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams. His one stop was a solo tackle in the overtime victory at home on Sunday Night Football.

WR Jakobi Meyers (2016-18), #16 Las Vegas Raiders: Meyers led the Raiders in receiving in the team’s 22-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He had three catches for 61 yards, including a long of 33 in the defeat. Meyers caught all three targets in the loss.

DT Larrell Murchison (2018-19), #52 Los Angeles Rams: Murchison is currently on the injured reserve and will miss at least the first four weeks of the 2024 season.

K Brayden Narveson (2023), #44 Green Bay Packers: After he spent time with the Tennessee Titans for the preseason, Narveson was claimed by the Packers. He made his NFL regular season debut in Brazil, but the Packers lost 34-29 to the Philadelphia Eagles. Narveson was 3-for-4 on field goal attempts with a long of 31 yards, while he knocked both extra point attempts through.

LB Germaine Pratt (2014-18), #57 Cincinnati Bengals: Pratt recorded eight total tackles, including three solo stops with a tackle for a loss, in the Bengals’ 16-10 loss to the New England Patriots and fellow Pack Pro Jacoby Brissett. He also recorded a pass defended in the loss.

DE James Smith-Williams (2016-19), #50 Atlanta Falcons: Smith-Williams made five total tackles in the Falcons’ 18-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had two solo stops with a pair of tackles for a loss in the defeat.

DL Kentavius Street (2014-17), #75 Atlanta Falcons: Street played 26 total snaps in the Falcons’ 18-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He did not record a tackle in the defeat.

WR Thayer Thomas (2017-22), #89 Minnesota Vikings: Thomas is on the Vikings practice squad. He did not play in the team’s season-opening win over the New York Giants.

LB Drake Thomas (2019-22), #42 Seattle Seahawks: Thomas made one tackle in the Seahawks’ 26-20 win over the Denver Broncos. He played 10 total snaps, all on special teams, in the victory.

OL Joe Thuney (2012-15), #62 Kansas City Chiefs: Thuney played 54 snaps in the Chiefs’ 27-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens to open the 2024 season.

LB Payton Wilson (2018-23), #41 Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers’ third-round draft pick made his NFL regular season debut in an 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Wilson logged three tackles, all solo stops, in 41 total snaps between defense and special teams in the victory.

QB Russell Wilson (2007-09, finished at Wisconsin), #3 Pittsburgh Steelers: Wilson was inactive for the game with calf tightness. He won the starting job out of training camp, but was forced to be on the sideline for the season opener. Wilson did dress as the emergency third quarterback, but was not needed in the 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

OL Chandler Zavala (2021-22), #62 Carolina Panthers: Zavala played just two snaps, both on special teams, in the Panthers’ 47-10 loss at the New Orleans Saints.

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