Clemson Football: Trenton Simpson expected to go in 2nd round of NFL Draft

Recently I wrote about the ups and downs of the NFL Draft and the evaluation process for the two biggest names, figuratively and literally, in the draft from Clemson football.

In addition to Murphy and Bresee, that mock had Trenton Simpson going No. 38 to the Las Vegas Raiders.

The problem with mock drafts is they get very specific – 38th to the Raiders – and one miss causes a cascade effect in the entire draft that makes the writers of mock look less than smart when in reality they could be very close to being correct.

The odds of Simpson going exactly 38th AND to the Raiders are small.  Does that mean the writer of the mock was wrong?  Not necessarily.

A former 5-Star recruit, Simpson obviously liked what he heard about his NFL prospects and it’s certainly understandable given his evaluations on the various sites.

A lot is made about the prestige of being a first-rounder and the pomp that entails, but there are only 32 of those each year and it’s not the worst thing in the world to be judged a second-round talent, one of the best 64 football players available, for all intents and purposes.

The NFL Draft process is an interesting one, where the top 1% of the top 1% are picked apart for the tiniest of weaknesses and criticized for things out of their control.

Such is the case when eight or nine-figure contracts could eventually be at stake.

All that to say there’s an extensive scouting report on Simpson online that projects Simpson as a second-round value. and compares him to the 52nd overall pick in 2021 Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

For those wondering if Simpson should have remained at Clemson and “assured” himself of a first round grade next season, well, first there’s no guarantee of a first round grade next season, especially given the critiques in his evaluation.

Some things just can’t be fixed, even by an athlete of Simpson’s caliber.

Secondly, there’s always the risk of injury, like the one that forced Simpson to miss the Orange Bowl, that could derail or end Simpson’s career.

Finally, it should be noted that as the 52nd pick in 2021, Owusu-Koramoah signed a 4 year, $6,476,216 contract, including a $2,069,976 signing bonus, $3,024,349 guaranteed.

Clemson football linebacker Trenton Simpson made the right decision in opting for the NFL

It’s not always the correct decision to go the NFL, but in my opinion is Simpson made the right move.

Money isn’t everything, but for many of these young men the NFL is a lifelong dream fulfilled, along with an opportunity for financial freedom at a young age.

That’s a tough combo to beat, especially for someone that already has his degree.