Clemson may not be flirting with a record-breaking draft haul anymore, but the Tigers are still very much in the first-round conversation.
ESPN’s latest NFL mock draft now has two Clemson defenders going on opening night: defensive tackle Peter Woods and edge rusher T.J. Parker, both projected as mid–first-round anchors for NFC contenders.
That’s a shift from the summer, when some projections floated four or even five possible Clemson first-rounders. As the season has unfolded, the board has tightened — and the path to Round 1 has narrowed.
Why Clemson’s First-Round Hype Has Cooled
The story of Clemson’s draft class is less about players falling off a cliff and more about how the process typically works.
Early mocks tend to cast a wide net. Teams and analysts are projecting off traits, recruiting profiles and limited college tape, which keeps more names in the first-round mix. Once a full season rolls in — with production, consistency, health and positional value under the microscope — the board naturally compresses.
That’s what’s happened with Clemson.
Some Tigers who once had “back end of Round 1” buzz are now viewed more as solid Day 2 options. A few have seen their roles shift, their usage change or their production flatten as opposing offenses adjust. At the same time, national breakout stars at other programs have surged into the first-round picture, squeezing the middle of the board.
The result: instead of a Clemson-heavy first round like the early talk suggested, the consensus has settled on a smaller, more elite group — with Woods entrenched near the top and Parker fighting to stay in that opening-night window, while others hover on the fringe.
Woods Locked In as a Top-15 Force
ESPN slots Woods at No. 12 overall to the Minnesota Vikings, keeping him firmly in Top-15 territory across major draft outlets. CBS Sports also projects Woods as a top-10 selection, sending him No. 6 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The appeal is obvious. At 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, Woods has been graded as a three-down interior lineman with dominant tape even if the raw numbers (2.0 sacks, nine pressures) don’t pop. Evaluators see a player who “rarely loses a rep” and projects as a disruptive 3-technique at the next level.
For Minnesota, which patched its interior with veterans Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, age is part of the equation. Both are on the wrong side of 30, and Woods is viewed as the long-term answer inside.
Parker’s Value Beyond the Box Score
ESPN’s mock sends Parker No. 18 overall to the Detroit Lions, a franchise still hunting for a true running mate opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
Detroit ranks last in pass rush win rate, in part because offenses can tilt protection toward Hutchinson. Parker is viewed as the kind of edge presence who can change that math. At 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, he plays with the length and strength NFL teams want on the edge and turned that into 11.0 sacks as a sophomore in 2024.
His raw sack numbers have dipped to 2.0 this season with protections sliding his way, but evaluators continue to circle his motor and upper-body power as tailor-made for a 4–3 front. ESPN still has him as a mid-first-round answer for Detroit’s front, even as some boards have cooled slightly.
In ESPN’s individual rankings, Parker is still regarded as the No. 2 outside linebacker, even while dropping out of Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest Top 25 overall.
Terrell Rising as Another First-Round Option
If Clemson is going to match or threaten its 2019 first-round fireworks, Avieon Terrell might be the swing piece.
Kiper’s Top 25 big board has Woods all the way up at No. 6 overall and Terrell at No. 22, putting both in strong position to hear their names called on Thursday night. CBS Sports mirrors that confidence, projecting Woods at No. 6 to the Raiders and Terrell at No. 17 to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs’ interest in Terrell makes sense on paper. Cornerbacks Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams are set to hit free agency, and while one could return, Kansas City historically hasn’t overpaid at the position — especially with a Trent McDuffie extension looming. Terrell profiles as a natural fit to slide into any potential vacancy on the outside.
In that setup, Parker could slide to Day 2, but Clemson would still be positioned for multiple premium picks.
Chasing the Standard Set in 2019
The bar in Tiger Town is high.
Clemson’s modern draft standard came in 2019, when the program produced a school-record three first-round selections: Clelin Ferrell (No. 4 overall), Christian Wilkins (13) and Dexter Lawrence (17). Early in this cycle, some projections flirted with the idea of four or even five Tigers crashing the first round again.
Reality has trimmed that number, but the caliber at the top is unchanged. Woods looks like a near-lock first-rounder with legitimate top-10 buzz. Parker and Terrell are fighting to stay or climb into that opening-night window, even as the rest of the class settles into Day 2 territory.
The headline may have shifted from “historic haul” to “select elite,” but draft weekend still shapes up as another showcase for Clemson’s defensive pipeline — with multiple Tigers poised for prime-time hugs on the first-round stage.