The NFL Draft will be taking place this week, and there arequite a few former tigers expecting to hear their name called.
Final mock draft drafts have been released, and many of them have multiple players being taken in the first round. Most have two Clemson players being taken back-to-back in round one, with two more being picked-up in the second round.
There is one top NFL Draft insider though that has three tigers getting grabbed in the first round. Todd McShay has Blake Miller, Peter Woods, and TJ Parker all coming off the board Thursday night.
Blake Miller
Miller has been making a name for himself through the draft process this year. His experience as a four-year starter at Clemson already made him an exciting prospect. Once he got to display his pure strength and athleticism, he became a lock for the first round of this year’s draft.
Miller is considered a top five offensive tackle in the 2026 draft class. His length at six feet and six inches tall with 34 ¼” arms makes him an ideal matchup for edge rushers who typically also have long frames. His quick feet also make both his vertical and lateral movements while changing directions look smooth. However, what scouts really love about him is how physical he is at the point of attack.
McShay has Miller getting picked up by the Detroit Lions with the 17th pick. Miller would fit well in the culture head coach Dan Campbell has built in the Motor City.
Peter Woods
Woods entered Clemson as a highly touted high school recruit who many believed was destined to be a first round draft pick. His first two college seasons saw him firmly on that trajectory, even when injuries plagued his sophomore season. Being healthy and moved back to the interior was supposed to allow Woods to dominate in 2025. That would leave no doubt that he is a first-round pick.
Things did not exactly go that way, with Woods looking just above average at times last season. Although, production is hard to come back when being double and triple teamed in most matchups. That did not stop Woods’ projections for this year’s draft taking a hit though.
Woods did not start the draft process as the bonafide first rounder most believed he would be. Throughout the process however, scouts were reminded of Woods’ elite athleticism for a big man and the explosiveness he plays with inside.
Woods has fantastic get-off, especially for an interior lineman. He has every bit of the power a great defensive tackle needs as well. That blend of speed on the snap and ability to create knock-back will make him disruptive when he sees more one-on-one blocks.
McShay has the Minnesota Vikings betting on Woods with the 18th pick. Playing in former defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ system should be a benefit for Woods early in his career.
TJ Parker
Parker and Woods have been linked in every way since arriving at Clemson. Both were highly sought-after players from Alabama in the 2023 class who made an immediate impact for the Tigers. They were both also expected to be first -round prospects in this draft class. Parker, like Woods, also displayed a noticeable drop in performance in the 2025 season that affected his draft stock as well.
Parker was an absolute game-wrecker on the edge for Clemson his first two seasons. His junior season he showed flashes of being that same player, but it wasn’t consistent enough.
The acquisition of Will Heldt and rise of Jaheim Lawson definitely took much of Parker’s production away, compared to the previous two seasons. Going from 19.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in 2024 to career lows in both categories the following season is going to hurt anyone’s draft stock though.
Parker worked hard during the draft process to remind anyone paying attention why he was a first-round prospect. He dominated one-on-one pass rush drills at the Senior bowl, showing off his raw power as an edge rusher. That alone caught many scouts’ eye. It wasn’t long afterwards that Parker started shooting back up the draft boards.
Parker does not have elite speed or agility off the edge. But, he’s so strong and explosive with his long arm that once he develops more counter moves off of it, he will be extremely dangerous as a pass rusher.
McShay has Parker going to the Houston Texans with the 28th pick. If he does go there, he’ll have a chance to work everyday with one of the league’s best edge defenders in Will Anderson Jr.
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