Wake up, Clemson football fans, it's NFL Draft day.
The Tigers have had at least one player selected in the first two rounds for the past six years but this might break that streak as Barrett Carter isn't projected to go until the third round. Still, Clemson has a number of prospects who could hear their names called this weekend.
Here's where I think Clemson's top NFL prospects could land this weekend.
Barrett Carter, LB (Round 3)
I see Barrett Carter going in the third round this weekend as he'll go on Day 2. All of the experts have Carter as the Tigers' top prospect in this draft and a majority have him going in the third round. I do think his potential is much higher than that and if he gets drafted in the second, he would push the streak to seven years of having at least one player selected in the first two rounds.
RJ Mickens, S (Round 5)
I wrote recently that RJ Mickens may be one of the most underrated mid-round selections in this year's draft as he graded out at an elite level on PFF. The veteran safety will likely be a fifth-round pick, per NFL.com, and I think he has a long NFL career ahead of him. Mickens had a productive Clemson career and I could see a team take a chance on him in the fourth round, but my best guess is the fifth.
Jake Briningstool, TE (Round 5)
Jake Briningstool has long been one of my favorite tight ends in college football and for some reason he's not projected to go in the first two days of the draft. I do think he has Day 2 potential, but he's likely to slide to the fifth or sixth round, but I'm going with the former. Briningstool had 49 catches for 530 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior and stands 6-foot-6 and 241 pounds and he runs a 4.75 40-yard dash. He has all the traits you'd want from a plus NFL tight end.
Phil Mafah, RB (Round 6)
This is more of a gut feeling on Phil Mafah for me. I know he's not exactly a prime running back prospect, but his size and production at Clemson as well as his consistency has to have scouts wondering just how he'd fit in. He has the frame to take hits in the NFL and he doesn't go down easily. He had over 2,500 yards and 28 rushing touchdowns throughout his Clemson career. Some have him going undrafted or in the seventh round, I think a team falls in love and bites earlier.
Marcus Tate, OL (Round 6)
Marcus Tate was as consistent as they come at the collegiate level and I think we definitely hear his name called before the final pick in this year's draft. He got eight starts as a freshman at left guard in 2021, was named an honorable mention All-ACC in 2022, started eight games before an injury in 2023, and then started 10 games and was second-team All-ACC in 2024. Injuries are the only concern here, but when he's healthy, he's very good.
Payton Page, DL (Round 7)
Payton Page, a former top-100 prospect, just had his best season with Clemson in 2024, playing in 14 games, recording 32 total tackles, three tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, an interception returned for a touchdown, and a pass breakup. That earned him some NFL looks and I think he just played himself into a seventh-round pick. He has a ton of potential, but the production hasn't matched to this point.