ESPN's Kiper ranks two Tigers among the top-25 NFL draft prospects |
Two Clemson products are among the top-25 prospects for the next NFL draft going
into the 2021 season's start according to ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr ($).
Starting cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. leads the way among Tigers at No. 19 overall. "As I wrote in May, Booth was overshadowed nationally last season by Derion Kendrick, who has now transferred to Georgia, but the tape showed something different," Kiper said. "He was really, really good. If you're just looking at his counting stats -- two interceptions, four total pass breakups -- you don't see how he locked up wideouts. Quarterbacks rarely threw Booth's way. He could be the first cornerback off the board in April." Set to take the field for the first time since the 2019 season, Tigers wide receiver Justyn Ross ranked 25th overall. "Clemson has some turnover on offense this year, but one of its stars is back in Ross, who missed the entire 2020 season with a congenital fusion in his spine," Kiper said. "He was one of college football's best receivers in 2018 and 2019, catching 112 passes for 1,865 yards and 17 touchdowns. More than 750 of those yards came after the catch. Ross did have some issues with drops in 2019, and it's hard to predict how he'll look after the long layoff, but he was so good before 2020 that this is a pick for first-round potential." Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux tops the list.
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