Head coach Dabo Swinney ushered in a renaissance in the Clemson football program over the last decade. The Tigers have two national championships and six appearances in the College Football Playoff era, a nearly-unrivaled feat. Clemson doesn't have the history of programs such as Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame, but the Tigers are firmly in the “New Bloods” group of college football.
With that success, the Tigers send high-quality players to the NFL level year after year. DeAndre Hopkins headlines the Tigers in the NFL today, but others such as A.J. Terrell and Hunter Renfrow are on the path to stardom too.
Clemson went through a down season in 2021, failing to make the CFP for the first time since 2014. However, the Tigers look poised to make a return trip in 2022. With a wealth of future NFL players on the roster, these three Tigers stand out as potential first-rounders in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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Clemson Football 2023 NFL Draft Prospects
3. Trenton Simpson
While Clemson's offense struggled throughout 2021, the defense thrived. The Tigers finished with the nation's second-best scoring defense in the country at 15 points per game, trailing only Georgia. They also finished top 10 in rushing defense (99.2 yards per game) and total defense (308.4 yards per game).
Trenton Simpson played a key part in helping Clemson's defense become one of the best in the country. The junior linebacker from Charlotte notched 65 total tackles, the third-most on the team. He excelled as a pass rusher too with six sacks on the season, the second-most on the team.
At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Simpson has the size to excel as an edge rusher at the NFL level. He can line up as an outside linebacker in both 4-3 and 3-4 sets and should be a valuable piece as a professional.
2. Myles Murphy
Another key part of the defense, Myles Murphy showed NFL potential even before he came to Clemson. ESPN named him the No. 3 player in the 2020 recruiting class after a 10.5 sack season as a high school senior. He earned freshman all-American honors in his first season with Clemson, when he posted four sacks and three forced fumbles.
Murphy took another step in 2021 with a team-high seven sacks on the year. He and Simpson combined to form one of the deadliest pass-rushing duos in the country, and they both return in 2022. Murphy has all the tools to succeed in the NFL, so expect to hear his name very early in April.
1. Bryan Bresee
While Simpson and Murphy enjoyed great seasons, Bryan Bresee had to watch from the sidelines. The redshirt sophomore tore his ACL in Clemson's loss to NC State on September 25, ending his season. He had 13 total tackles and 1.5 sacks on the season before his injury.
Bresee came to Clemson as the No. 1 player in the 2020 recruiting class, according to 247Sports and Rivals.com. The defensive tackle shined as a freshman with 4 sacks on the season. He earned many awards after the season, including ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Bresee is his size. At 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, he rivals star NFL interior defenders such as Cameron Hayward and Chris Jones. That size alone is enough to make teams consider him with their first selection.
Bresee will have to prove that he's still the same player for the Clemson football team after his injury. However, he'll be a very early draft pick if he's even close to what he was before.
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