These 5 Clemson players are likely to be high picks in the 2021 NFL Draft
The 2020 NFL Draft just ended over the weekend, but it’s never too early to look ahead to next year.
Mock drafts for 2021 are being released and several Clemson players are expected to hear their names called early a year from now.
The first Clemson player to get drafted next year is also likely to be the No. 1 overall pick in quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The Georgia native is -400 (1/4 odds) to be the top pick in 2021, according to sportsbetting.ag. Georgia’s Justin Fields is the second most likely No. 1 overall pick at +500 (5-1).
Here is a look at five Clemson players, including Lawrence, who could be high draft picks next year:
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence
ESPN analyst Mel Kiper said Lawrence likely would have been the No. 1 overall pick after his freshman season, and he almost assuredly will be in 2021. Lawrence will graduate in December and seems to be a lock to turn pro. Fox Sports, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated and most others have Lawrence as the top pick next year. He passed for 3,665 yards, 36 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2019 while completing nearly 66% of his passes.
Wide receiver Justyn Ross
Lawrence’s favorite target this coming season is expected to be Justyn Ross, and the star receiver will likely join Lawrence as a first-round pick. Ross caught a team-high 66 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns last season while helping Clemson reach the national championship game. He had a coming-out party in the 2018 College Football Playoff, combining to catch 12 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns in wins over Notre Dame and Alabama. Bleacher Report predicts Ross to go No. 8 overall to the Giants in 2021, while Fox Sports, CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated all have Ross going in the top 10.
Running back Travis Etienne
Etienne would have likely been selected by the end of the second round in this year’s draft. Instead, he opted to return to school for his senior season in hopes of becoming a first-round pick in 2021. It is hard to land in the first round as a running back — the first tailback in this year’s draft didn’t come off the board until the last pick of the first round. If Etienne can continue to produce at an elite level and improve his pass catching and pass blocking, he has a chance to be drafted on Day 1. Etienne already holds several Clemson and ACC rushing records, including touchdowns with 56. He rushed for 1,614 yards while averaging 7.8 yards per carry last year. Bleacher Report has Etienne going No. 11 overall to the Dolphins, while Fox Sports also has him going in the first round.
Defensive end Xavier Thomas
He hasn’t lived up to the hype so far in his college career, but NFL teams still see the potential in Thomas as a pass rusher and someone who can make plays in the backfield. The 2020 season will be huge for the rising junior after Thomas dealt with injuries and managed just two sacks in 2019. Sports Illustrated has Thomas going No. 14 overall to the Falcons, while Fox Sports and CBS Sports also have Thomas coming off the board in the first round.
Cornerback Derion Kendrick
He doesn’t appear on any mock drafts at this point, but Kendrick will likely be a name that is talked about leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft. In his first season playing defense, Kendrick started and played well for most of the year, finishing with 51 tackles, three tackles for loss and a pair of interceptions while earning second-team All-ACC honors. Kendrick still has some areas of his game to clean up, and that was evident as he struggled at times against LSU’s elite receivers in the national title game. He could join Trayvon Mullen in 2019 and A.J. Terrell in 2020 as Clemson cornerbacks to hear their names called early in the draft.
