Clemson football: Will have at least four first round picks in 2021

Clemson football could shatter the program’s first-round draft record which was set in 2019 when they had three selections in the first 17 picks.

The 2019 NFL draft saw Clelin Ferrell go fourth overall to the Raiders, Christian Wilkins 13th overall to the Dolphins, and Dexter Lawrence was taken 17th overall by the Giants.

There could be three Tiger selections alone in the Top 10 in 2021. Of course, this means that the Clemson football program would lose quite a few juniors along the way; which is par for the course when you are recruiting on the level that Clemson football currently is.

When taking a look at next year’s draft here is where a few current Tigers could hear their names called.

Trevor Lawrence

• Range: 1st overall

Regardless of who has the first pick, Clemson football quarterback Trevor Lawrence is going first overall. Forget the hype that you are hearing about Justin Fields, no one is taking Fields over Lawrence when their jobs are the line and they have to build a franchise around a player.

There will be a lot of movement for this first pick with teams like Charlotte, New England, Chargers, and others looking to draft Lawrence.

Justyn Ross

• Range: 5th overall to 8th overall

NFL coaches and general managers cannot wait for Justyn Ross to declare himself eligible. He will be the first receiver taken in the 2021 NFL Draft and there won’t be a close second. Ross is so far ahead in the 2021 draft class, that short of a major injury, he will likely be a Top 5 choice.

In a passing league such as the NFL, elite receivers with all of the intangibles are a high priority, and teams will fall in love with a guy that many consider an instant alpha in a locker room.

Xavier Thomas

• Range: 10th-20th overall

Xavier Thomas is a real head-scratcher. A former five-star recruit that played out of his mind backing up former Top 5 pick Clelin Ferrell as a freshman.

His sophomore year in 2019 was a disappointment, between his injuries and trying to live up to the preseason expectations, things just did not go well for XT. Expect him to bounce back in 2020 and have a season to remember.

That type of season will pair well when he exceeds all expectations at the combine and blows away all of the testing numbers.

Jackson Carman

• Range: 10th-25th

This is a broad range for Jackson because of the way that NFL teams draft an offensive lineman. Jackson will be the biggest and most athletic tackle in the draft and 20 years he ago, he would have gone right behind Trevor but today, he will sit on the board a little longer.

NFL teams will put on the tape of him facing Chase Young in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl and will come away absolutely impressed. They will also see him handle K’Lavon Chaisson in the national championship game and how he stymied Javon Kinlaw.

Carman has a tremendous upside and faced some of the best defensive linemen in the country and held them all to their worst game of the year. If he can be more consistent in 2020, he will be a Top 10 pick in 2021.

Travis Etienne

• Range: 15th-70th

This is not a knock on Travis, but rather taking a look at the NFL and the value that they do not place on running backs. In the last three first rounds (2018-2020), there have only been five runningbacks drafted and three of those were in 2018.

Travis is a high first-round talent, but that does not mean that is where he will go. While he could last until the third round, that is highly unlikely and we will more than likely see him go exactly where Tee Higgins heard his name called at the start of the second round.