For most of North Carolina’s 2026 NFL draftees, their big moment took a bit of patience.
Nearly all draftees coming directly out of the state’s college programs were selected after the third round, and for the first time since 2016, UNC didn’t have a draft pick.
Nevertheless, plenty of players with connections to North Carolina were given the opportunity to live out their NFL dreams. Here’s a breakdown of where the locals — college players, transfers and some North Carolina natives — will be headed to begin their professional careers.
Straight out of NC colleges
Duke
Wesley Williams
Defensive end Wesley Williams was selected by the Jaguars with the 119th overall pick in the fourth round. He was the highest draft pick for the Blue Devils this year after recording 131 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in three collegiate seasons.
Chandler Rivers
Chandler Rivers, the standout corner, is heading to Baltimore after being picked by the Ravens with the 162nd overall pick in the fifth round. Across four seasons at Duke, Rivers logged 223 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and seven interceptions. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns in college.
Brian Parker II
Offensive tackle Brian Parker II was selected by the Bengals with the 189th overall pick in the sixth round. Parker was an All-ACC selection in 2024 and 2025, and he look to help improve the Bengals’ bottom-four rushing attack (total rush yards) from last season.
NC State
Justin Joly
Tight end Justin Joly was the Wolfpack’s highest pick in this draft, going 152nd overall to the Broncos in the fifth round. Joly hauled in 92 passes for 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns in two seasons at NC State, earning first-team All-ACC honors this past fall.
Brandon Cleveland
Brandon Cleveland, a defensive tackle, will head to Las Vegas after being picked 229th overall by the Raiders in the seventh round. Cleveland is coming off one of his most productive seasons in college in which he logged 36 tackles, a career-high seven tackles for loss and two sacks.
Wake Forest
Karon Prunty
Karon Prunty, the defensive back who made stops at Kansas and North Carolina A&T before Wake Forest, was selected by New England with the 171st overall pick in the fifth round. Prunty earned third-team All-ACC honors this past fall after recording 22 tackles, six passes defended, a sack and a fumble recovery.
Demond Claiborne
Standout running back Demond Claiborne was selected by the Vikings with the 198th overall pick in the sixth round. Claiborne finished his career as the Demon Deacons’ fourth all-time rusher. After rushing for 907 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns, he earned second-team All-ACC honors.
ECU
Anthony Smith
Receiver Anthony Smith, who spent four seasons at NC State before transferring to ECU, was selected in the seventh round by the Cowboys as the 218th overall pick. Smith earned first-team All-American Conference honors in 2025 after hauling in 64 receptions for 1,053 yards and seven touchdowns.
Transfers
Brandon Cisse
South Carolina corner Brandon Cisse went off the board in the second round to Green Bay (52nd overall pick). Before his lone season with the Gamecocks in which he logged 19 tackles, six passes defended and an interception, he played two seasons at NC State.
Travis Burke
Memphis offensive tackle Travis Burke, who began his college career at Gardner-Webb, was a fourth-round selection (117th overall) by the Chargers. Burke stands at 6 feet, 9 inches and 315 pounds. He helped Memphis rush for over 2,300 yards (five yards per carry) in 2025.
Keagen Trost
On the way to becoming the Rams’ third round selection (93rd overall), Mizzou offensive tackle Keagan Trost spent the 2024 season at Wake Forest. This past fall, he helped the Tigers post the eighth-best rushing offense in the country.
NC native
Nick Barrett
Eastern Wayne alum Nick Barrett is heading to Los Angeles after being selected by the Chargers in the fifth round as the 145th overall pick. The defensive tackle recorded 42 tackles, six tackles for loss and two sacks. Barrett could be the second Eastern Wayne alum to play in an NFL game (Manny Lawson was the first).
UDFA signings/Mini-camp invites (as of Monday)
App State: Joey Aguilar (Jaguars, UDFA, most recently played at Tennessee)
Charlotte: Randy Franklin (Broncos, rookie mini-camp); Ja’Qurious Conley (Buccaneers, UDFA); Reid Williford (Ravens, UDFA); Shay Taylor (Chiefs and Commanders, rookie mini-camp); Sean Brown (Broncos, UDFA); Aidan Laros (Buccaneers, UDFA, most recently played at Kentucky)
Duke: Vincent Anthony Jr. (Chiefs, UDFA); Aaron Hall (Panthers, UDFA); Josiah Green (Buccaneers, UDFA); Jaiden Francois (Eagles, rookie mini-camp); Justin Pickett (Raiders, UDFA); Anderson Castle (Colts, UDFA); Caleb Weaver (Jets, rookie mini-camp); Andrel Anthony (Falcons, UDFA); Sahmir Hagans (Colts, rookie mini-camp)
ECU: Triston O’Brien (Saints, rookie mini-camp); Mike Wright (Seahawks, rookie mini-camp); Laith Marjan (Steelers, UDFA, most recently played at Kansas)
Elon: Jeff Yurk (Broncos, rookie mini-camp)
NC State: Devon Marshall (Jaguars, UDFA); Cian Slone (Raiders, UDFA); Sabastian Harsh (Texans, UDFA); Caden Fordham (Buccaneers, UDFA); Sean Brown (Titans, UDFA); Cody Hardy (Saints, UDFA); Wesley Grimes (49ers, UDFA); Devan Boykin (Steelers, UDFA, most recently played at Indiana)
UNC: Marcus Allen (Vikings, UDFA); Thaddeus Dixon (Giants, UDFA); Austin Blaske (Rams, UDFA); Chad Lindberg (Rams, UDFA); Diego Pounds (Ravens, UDFA, most recently played at Ole Miss); Travis Shaw (Ravens, UDFA, most recently played at Texas)
NC Central: J’Mari Taylor (Jaguars, UDFA, most recently played at Virginia)
Wake Forest: Lardarius Webb (Ravens, UDFA); Jayden Loving (Bears, UDFA); Nick Andersen (Rams, UDFA); Eni Falayi (Packers, UDFA)
