It didn’t take long before Clemson was showing up around ESPN’s most recent two-round NFL mock draft — and once they did, they wouldn’t leave.
Fresh from a busy Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl weekend, ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller announced his updated 2026 mock, and over a 23-pick stretch, five former Clemson standouts heard their names called. It was a reminder that even as Clemson has been embracing a new era of college football, the program’s capacity to nurture NFL-ready talent remains robust.
At the front of the pack is T.J. Parker, whose week in Mobile did precisely what he wanted it to. Miller anticipates Parker as the first Tiger out; landing with the Dallas Cowboys at No. 20 overall, a pick he obtained in the Micah Parsons trade. With first-round expectations, witnessing his stock fluctuate during the season, Parker used the Senior Bowl to reestablish himself as a difference-maker.
“The Senior Bowl served as a reminder that Parker can win by locking out blockers with his long arms,” Miller said, pointing to something that always plays forward to the next level.
That blend of length, power and control is what makes Parker useful on early downs and dangerous as a pass rusher — exactly the type of football player Dallas would need in the new era of post-Parsons. Coming right down from him, Clemson’s defensive presence lingers.
Avieon Terrell gets off the ground as No. 21 overall, is being projected to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a franchise that needs help in the secondary with free agency looming. Miller has called Terrell “ultra-athletic,” and the fit is not difficult. Pittsburgh has always placed a premium on physical, competitive corners, and Terrell’s résumé — All-American honors under its belt and First Team All-ACC acclaim — indicates he is up to the task right now. Terrell’s selection also reinforces Clemson’s continuing pipeline at cornerback, a position that the program has quietly blossomed into for years. Clemson’s third first-rounder appears late in the round, but it may be the safest projection of the group.
Blake Miller also is put at No. 28 overall to the Houston Texans where his experience and durability would be an immediate plus protecting quarterback C.J. Stroud. Miller leaves Clemson as the program’s all-time leader in offensive snaps, starting every game he played and finishing with 3,778 snaps in orange. Miller refers to him as “good value” and said scouts in Mobile were giving the veteran tackle “a lot of love.” In a league starved for reliable offensive line quality, Miller’s floor may have just as tantalizing a ceiling.
The Clemson run does not stop when Round One ends. Early in the second round, Peter Woods breaks free at No. 41 to the Cincinnati Bengals, returning to play with former Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter. Woods’ versatility is what sells the pick — Miller thinks he can be a top notch 1-tech or 3-tech defensive tackle, offering pass-rush upside that’s simply “too good to pass up.” Woods provides just that for a Bengals defense that has needed disruption in the interior.
Clemson takes its fifth name in the mock one pick later. Antonio Williams is projected to be assigned No. 42 overall to the New Orleans Saints because Miller feels that with him on the offensive team, the offensive weapon will be more of a complement. Because with the rookie Chris Olave positioned as WR1, Williams’ success on the slot provides New Orleans with the second option it hasn’t had. Williams leaves Clemson with more than 2,300 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns and two All-ACC picks — production and polish that might be indicative of early NFL impact.
Viewed as a whole, the takeaway is hard to miss. Five Tigers in two rounds. Three in the first. Defensive line, secondary, offensive line, wide receiver — Clemson talent distributed through the board. And mock drafts are fluid and months before April, but the trend is unmistakable: Clemson players are going up at the right time.
While the draft process has not yet finished, ESPN’s projection makes a clear statement — the Tigers may be moving through the new landscape of college football, but their presence on NFL boards isn’t going anywhere.