32 Future NFL Draft Picks from North Carolina

It's NFL Draft Weekend, and while that means more to some of you than others, we at Prep Redzone want to wish you all a happy draft weekend. On Thursday, 32 young men will begin their NFL journeys as first-round picks, with hundreds more following on Friday and Saturday. We're celebrating guys like KC Concepcion this weekend, and we're looking ahead to the future. I've always wanted to write one of these, so here it is. Let's look at 32 current high schoolers (Classes of 2027-2029) who could be future draft picks.

Editor's Note: We're projecting like draft analysts here, which means incorporating positional value, athleticism, and future projection. We chose 32 players because that's how many are taken in the first round every year. Because we've been doing rankings, let's do that, and rank 1-32, starting with the most likely draft pick in our rankings. This is supposed to be fun, buckle up and enjoy!

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Dollar hits every size, speed, and yardage threshold you'd want to see from a future NFL tight end. His blend of natural ability and the technical side of being a bigger receiver is enough to make him the top overall prospect in our rankings now, but he can still grow before he reaches his true ceiling.

A lab-built corner with excellent length and rare speed (even when compared to current NFL corners), Hasan is a good bet to find himself on draft boards in 4-5 years. The Notre Dame commit should have the opportunity to compete for a role early at a key position on a team that consistently churns out NFL-quality defensive backs.

It didn't take long to get to our first edge rusher. Sheets racked up over 25 sacks two years ago, then had 15 and 39 tackles for loss as a junior. The juiced-up pass rusher gets off the line in a hurry, and he's a nightmare to block.

Dobson sits just behind Hasan largely because I'm interested to see where he ends up committing when projecting future draft value. His length, speed, hips, and ball skills scream lockdown corner, and he's likely to play on Sundays, thanks to that skill set.

Clark is the top overall prospect in our 2028 rankings at a position that continues to become more and more important to NFL franchises. Multiple teams tonight will snag first-round wide receivers they don't plan to make their No. 1 pass-catcher. Clark has elite size and route-running abilities, and he's going to make some Power Four team, and eventually an NFL franchise, happy.

Massive tackles with positional versatility and a mean streak tend to be highly favored by NFL front offices, and for good reason. Williams burst onto the scene early, then almost immediately began to live up to the hype. He's still developing, too, and has plenty of room to improve before hitting his ceiling.

The NFL generally tends to undervalue safeties, but guys like Nick Emmanwori and Kyle Hamilton are showing that bigger safeties can unlock so much in a defense when it comes to disguising coverages and matching personnel. Geathers is in that mold, a guy who covers like a nickel, but is indistinguishable from an outside linebacker against the run.

The top thing NFL franchises look for in linebacker prospects is speed, and Mayfield is like a bullet train out there. He gets downhill in a hurry, leading to plenty of sacks and tackles for loss. If a linebacker is going to get drafted early, he'd better be athletic. Mayfield has elite upside, plus the instincts to go with it.

As you can see, we're quite high on the next few linebacker classes in North Carolina. Cypher is a talented linebacker with speed, coverage skills, and gap integrity in the running game. He's headed to Ohio State, and if you want to know how the NFL feels about Buckeyes' defenders, just watch the first hour of the draft on Thursday.

Oh, look, another standout linebacker. The No. 2 overall player in our 2028 rankings hits every threshold you're looking for in a future star linebacker. He's an instinctive player who racks up tackles in bunches and makes them count. He's also going to crush draft interviews and is the type of guy off the field whom teams move up their boards the more time they spend with him.

Williams' meteoric rise has been fun to watch. He still hasn't put it all together in terms of elite on-field production, but his pass-rushing upside is seemingly limitless, and he's wildly athletic.

McLean is the first 2029 recruit to land on this list. The top overall recruit in that class, McLean made an immediate impact as a freshman, stepping up when his backfield mate went down with injury.

Whenever an analyst talks about a "gritty" quarterback, a guy who's a "gamer," you can think about Royal. He's not the biggest guy in the state, and though he has a great arm, it's not the cannon that would get him drafted without the moxie, leadership, and rushing ability he also possesses.

Peterson is another one of our favorite linebacker prospects. A fast, free-flowing backer who can get sideline to sideline and excels in pass coverage, he's a top prospect, assuming he can grow just a bit more.

Jones is just learning the safety position and should get some excellent coaching this season at that position. He's a developmental defensive back prospect with massive upside who should have a big senior season.

Dillon is the quintessential "let's look back at his high school quarterback tape" prospect. He was a receiver as a freshman and sophomore before moving to quarterback in 2026 to help the team. While he was excellent as a passer, it's hard to ignore the elite, NFL-worthy upside from one of the most explosive athletes we've ever covered.

Crumel is a taller corner with the frame to add a bit more weight and experience playing multiple spots in the secondary. All of those are pluses for evaluators.

Craft hasn't yet put up the sort of numbers that turn heads, but he's played early, and the development for a guy with massive arm talent is obvious. Expect a big junior year from a guy with plenty of Power Four interest.

Ballou is absolutely massive, even as a rising junior. Projecting the future of offensive linemen is tricky, but his sophomore tape is much better than his (good) freshman tape was, suggesting he's growing as a player.

A transfer from Virginia, Brown is a newer name to our radar, but he has a profile that can translate to the next level. Speed, length, and ball skills are key. We're interested to see how he fits on Rolesville's talented defense.

A two-way player we thought would eventually develop into a tight end, Carmack maintained his speed and ball skills as he grew. 6'4" receivers with route-running prowess are rare, and that skill set should translate.

Henderson gets the "athlete" penalty sometimes in that it's hard to fully project a player when we don't know where he'll go to school or what position he'll play. He's probably a safety who will test off the charts and make plenty of splash plays.

There are a bunch of excellent interior defensive linemen in the 10-25 range of both our 2027 and 2028 rankings, and McKoy probably has the best combination of floor and ceiling. The 6'3," 290-pounder with a massive wingspan will turn heads in a combine setting, and could be an early contributor at the next level.

Cunningham is a big dude with the frame to add a bit more weight. He's an above average pass rusher from the interior, but he can still plug holes against the run. I'm wondering what sort of scheme would maximize his skill set, and he's a guy I certainly don't have a complete and settled scouting opinion on.

Stiles is one of the most productive linebackers in the state. He's a bit on the shorter side, by NFL standards, but his instincts and speed to get downhill and fill gaps are impressive.

Not only is he a promising corner recruit, Dollard is an excellent kick returner. Guys who can do both are rare, and that versatility has already made him a popular prospect.

Michalak has time to clean up some small mechanical inconsistencies, but the arm talent is truly elite. He has prototypical pocket passer size, with a rocket for an arm, and the early production to suggest he's a national talent.

Thompson is slated to be a stock-riser for a third straight rankings update, and as of this update, I'm still not sure we have him high enough on our board. He could make people miss in a phone book and seems to find space against any defensive alignment.

Griffin transfers over to Hough this offseason after two years at West Charlotte, and I'm interested to see if his role changes. The hybrid safety/"Big Nickel" excels in space, and isn't afraid to take on receivers in pass coverage.

Galloway is the ultimate "high-floor" prospect at edge rusher. He's arguably the best run defender at the position in the state, and he's not the flashiest guy in terms of highlight-reel sacks. There's plenty of room for a guy like that in a Power Four starting lineup, and we'll see 2-3 of that archetype go early in the 2026 NFL Draft.

If a team is going to "reach" on a lower-ranked player, a toolsy quarterback prospect is usually a worthy swing. Patterson has a huge frame, live arm, and decent accuracy, especially as he's refining his mechanics and footwork. There's plenty of room for him to grow before he hits his ceiling.

Rogers is a monster at 6'6," 240 pounds, and is thriving at Grimsley after transferring last offseason. Despite the big sack numbers, he's still winning most often with raw speed and power. After a college defensive line coach helps him refine his pass-rushing arsenal, his upside as a sack artist will make him a popular draft name.

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