Is Clemson football backup defensive tackle Albert Huggins working his way into a being a selection in the 2019 NFL Draft?
The rave surrounding Clemson football has been centered on its All-American defensive line that features four starters that could end up being first-round selections in the NFL Draft.
Austin Bryant, Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence have gotten plenty of accolades.
But, there’s one defensive lineman that has played very well and that’s Albert Huggins.
Huggins currently has 14 tackles and a 0.5 sack at this point, but has done a really good job playing that interior defensive line backing up Lawrence, who has also played well.
Huggins has been lauded by his coaches and is receiving a lot of attention from NFL Scouts.
Even though he’ll continue to be overlooked by the average fan, Huggins is slowly, but surely, working his way up the ranks and is becoming a valuable defensive tackle prospect for this year’s NFL Draft.
Hard work pays off…
What impresses me most about Albert Huggins is his never-ending motor. I’m not just talking about the effort he plays with on the field.
I’m talking about the ‘never give-up’ mentality that he has always carried himself. It would’ve been really easy for Huggins to leave- like several other former Clemson football players did- when he found out that he’d pretty much never start a game for the Tigers.
Instead, he went to work and battled for a starting position. He currently is listed as the backup behind Christian Wilkins, but has played both defensive tackle spots. Even as a second-string player, Huggins continues to impress and has added quality depth to the Tigers’ defensive line.
Huggins, without a doubt, has all the measurables to play at the next level.
Many NFL Draft Analysts have him as a top-10 defensive tackle prospect in this next year’s cycle and I believe he could easily be a mid-to-late round draft pick in the upcoming draft.
It will be interesting to see just how Huggins progresses over the rest of this season as he continues to be a force for Clemson football on the interior of that defensive line.