When the Clemson football team held its annual pro day in March, it was an opportunity for NFL scouts and executives to get up close and personal with prospects ahead of the NFL draft.
For the players, it was a chance to show their stuff and prove why they should get a chance at the next level.
“You always dream of things like this, being where I am today, but you never really think about what it’ll be like to actually be here,” Clemson defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro said at the time. “I dreamed about things like this — being in front of the cameras, telling yowu guys my story.
I’m just grateful to have this opportunity. I’m very blessed.”
Fast-forward a month, and the draft has arrived, with the first round set to get underway tonight at 8 p.m. in Detroit.
While nothing is certain, there are some easy predictions to make. Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams will almost certainly be the first name off the board, Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. should be the first non-signal caller selected, and every general manager will assure fans that they picked the right guy.
Other than that, however, the NFL draft is a murky swamp of uncertainty, and it’s where the prospects from Clemson find themselves treading water.
Last year, Clemson saw six players selected, including a pair of first-round picks in Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee, as well as a third-rounder in Trenton Simpson.
And while players like cornerback Nate Wiggins, linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., defensive end Xavier Thomas and Orhorhoro are believed to be safe bets when it comes to getting picked, there’s no telling where any former Tigers will be by the end of the weekend.
One thing that does appear to be certain is that Wiggins won’t have to wait long as the consensus top prospect from Clemson this year.
CBS predicts the corner to go 22nd overall to the Philadelphia Eagles tonight, while Pro Football Focus has Wiggins getting drafted 25th overall by the Green Bay Packers, while The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranks him as the No. 24 prospect in the draft and ESPN’s Mel Kiper lists Wiggins at No. 25. At the same time, Wiggins is listed as the No. 3 cornerback in the class by Brugler and No. 4 by Kiper.
It’s safe to say Wiggins will likely have a new team by the end of tonight, and he’s confident in the future, even if he admitted he’s not exactly a finished product. In an interview with Pro Football Talk at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, he said he’s looking improve his physicality at the line of scrimmage while getting better in the run game.
However, it’s not that side of his physical prowess that’s grabbing headlines. Running a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the combine, his speed is what many analysts are pointing to in coverage as what should give him a shot at the next level.
Clemson defensive back Nate Wiggins runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, March 1 in Indianapolis.
Associated Press
In Brugler’s “The Beast” scouting report, Wiggins was noted as having the speed and awareness to pounce on offenses’ mistakes and cover for his own. Brugler noted that while Wiggins has a slight frame that can get pushed around, he should be a starting perimeter corner in the NFL, comparing him to retired Pro Bowl corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
NFL.com gave Wiggins a prospect rating of 6.43, predicting him to become a “good starter within two years.”
Things are less certain for Wiggins’ defensive teammates, however.
Orhorhoro is listed as the No. 45 overall prospect by Kiper and his No. 3 defensive tackle, while Brugler has the five-year Tiger as the No. 51 prospect and fourth best at his position. While he turned heads with a 1.67-second 10-yard split at the combine and a 4.89 40-yard dash, scouts have listed concerns about his pass rushing and the finer techniques of his rushing.
Receiving a prospect grade of 6.25, Orhorhoro is predicted to “eventually be an average starter” in the NFL by NFL.com, with analyst Lance Zierlein noting that Orhorho “can get distracted by individual battles and needs to keep his focus trained on pursuing the ball and making positive plays.”
“Orhorhoro’s undeveloped pass-rush instincts and finishing skills cloud his next-level projection, but he displays intriguing movement skills and force at contact to continue getting better and better,” Brugler wrote. “He has NFL starting upside with the scheme-versatility to play multiple positions, both inside and outside.”
Fellow inside rusher Tyler Davis was ranked the 17th-best defensive tackle by Kiper and No. 22 by Brugler, who noted that the fifth-year senior had a high floor but low upside — a sentiment echoed by NFL.com.
“The size and length of an NFL interior blocker could be challenging for him as he makes the step up in class,” Zierlein noted. “The physical limitations will make him less attractive earlier in the draft, but his motor and consistency in pressuring blockers should push him into snaps as a 4-3 nose.”
PFF predicted Davis to go 150th overall to the New Orleans Saints, who drafted Bresee last year.
Meanwhile, Trotter received a prospect score of 6.29 from NFL.com, with Zierlein predicting the linebacker to have a long career but not blow anyone away. Brugler listed him as the No. 7 linebacker in the class, while Kiper has him as the No. 5 off-ball linebacker and 108th overall prospect.
Trotter racked up 195 total tackles in his three seasons at Clemson with 13 sacks, 16 pass breakups and four interceptions. A two-time second-team All-American, Trotter is considered NFL-ready, and having a father who played in the league for more than a decade certainly helps.
“Overall, Trotter is an instinctive hammer with the pedigree and toughness that will endear him to NFL coaches, although his limitations in space versus NFL athletes could restrict his next level role,” Brugler wrote.
PFF predicted Trotter to be drafted 71st by the Arizona Cardinals and called him the “smartest linebacker in the class.”
Another defensive prospect to watch is Thomas, who.
