NFL Draft: Recent mock draft only lists 1 Tiger going in the first 4 rounds.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller recently released his seven round mock draft. In that mock, Deon Cain is the only former Tiger predicted to go in the first four rounds.
Early in the offseason, Clemson football was expected to produce some of the top NFL draft prospects in the country.
Names like Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell and Mitch Hyatt were garnering NFL interest throughout the entire 2017 season. Ultimately, all three of the previously mentioned players elected to stay in school.
Now Clemson’s best NFL draft prospect appears to be wide receiver, Deon Cain. In Matt Miller’s seven round mock draft, Cain is selected with the 59th overall pick in the 2nd round by the 49ers.
Other Notable Selections
Miller doesn’t have the next Tiger coming off of the board until round five, when Taylor Hearn is selected 151st overall by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Dorian O’Daniel is next off of the board, getting picked up by the Los Angeles Rams late in the sixth round. Miller also has a pair of Tigers going in the seventh round: Van Smith to the New Orleans Saints and Ray-Ray McCloud to the Seattle Seahawks.
Once again, former Tiger, Ryan Carter gets the short end of the stick. Standing just 5-foot-9, 180 pounds Cater has less than ideal size at the corner back position. That being said, he is a tenacious technician, whose size rarely stopped him from making plays on the collegiate level.
I believe O’Daniel is a steal in the sixth round. Similar to Carter, O’Daniel doesn’t have prototypical NFL size at linebacker, however, he is ultra versatile. With the influx of the spread offense, defensive coordinators are looking for defenders who are comfortable playing in space.
Next: John Newman will bring his winning ways to Clemson
O’Daniel is an elite athlete with the tools to be a major contributor on third down. He gives you the tackling ability of a linebacker with the coverage skills of a nickel back. His versatility lends well to scheme-versatility.