Former Clemson football players like quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne will hear their names called early in the four-day NFL Draft. However, not all Tigers will be as fortunate.
Under Dabo Swinney, Clemson football has had quite a few first and second-round picks – 22 picks in those two rounds to be exact. However, the Tigers have also had a few diamonds in the rough be found in the last four rounds as well.
Grady Jarrett is among the best three defensive tackles in the NFL, former corner Bashaud Breeland was a significant part of the 2019 Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl win. Wayne Gallman is still an effective player in the NFL and Bradley Pinion just won a Super Bowl with the Bucs.
Clemson football will have two players end up being the steal of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Coming into 2020, receivers Amari Rodgers and Cornell Powell were set to back up Justyn Ross, Frank Ladson Jr, Joseph Ngata and while they were going to provide depth, no one expected them to produce the seasons that they did.
Cornell Powell came into his redshirt senior season with 329 total yards and three touchdowns. He had 882 yards and seven touchdowns in his fifth season. Not only did he produce on the field, but he showed out at the Clemson Pro-Day 10 days ago.
Amari Rodgers was much of the same.
He came into his senior year with a total of 1,124 yards and eight touchdowns. He had his first 1,000-yard season and caught seven more touchdowns. His 1,000 season moved him into 12th all-time in Clemson history in receiving yards.
Amari already had a reputation of being an incredible worker having come back in 172 days from a torn ACL – something that had not been done before in major college football.
Both of these players will end up being the steals in the draft.
No matter what teams they end up with, their talent and work ethic will make favorites among their coaches, teammates, and fans.