The NFL held this year’s draft in Detroit for the first time. Throughout the three-day, seven-round draft, six former Clemson Tigers were selected to one of the 32 teams. Of those six players, one was an offensive player, and five were from the defense. Three of the four starting defensive linemen from the 2023 roster were included in those five. The six draft picks tied Clemson with Missouri and LSU for the sixth most players drafted in 2024. Head coach Dabo Swinney now leads all active coaches with the most players drafted to the NFL. He has had 83 players drafted since 2009.
First Off the Board
As speculated, Nate Wiggins was the first Tiger to be taken off of the draft board. He was taken by the Baltimore Ravens with the 30th pick. This made him the only Tiger selected in the first round of the 2024 draft. This pick helped Swinney set another record as he also became the active coach with the most first-round draft picks with 18. Wiggins should be a valuable piece in an already stout Ravens defense. One of the few holes that Baltimore’s defense had was at cornerback. Wiggins will provide great speed and length for the Ravens at the position.
Defensive Tackle Ruke Orhorhoro was selected early in the second round by the Atlanta Falcons with the 35th overall pick. Orhorhoro was a much-needed pickup for Atlanta. He was a solid part of the Clemson defense for a couple of seasons but really dominated on the interior last season. The Falcons needed help upfront, especially for their pass rush. Orhorhoro will be relied upon early and often.
Two Tickets to Philly
The Philadelphia Eagles picked up two Tigers in this draft. The first was running back Will Shipley late in the fourth round. This pickup will provide more depth at the position for the Eagles. Philadelphia made a huge move to acquire running back Saquaon Barkley early in free agency. Still, there could be a place for Shipley to fit into the Eagles’ offense. He could be a rotational piece at running back behind Barkley, or he could make some noise elsewhere. The best part of Shipley’s game is how versatile he is. He can catch passes out of the backfield as well as split out at wide receiver.
The second pickup by the Eagles was a legacy pick. Jeremiah Trotter Jr got the call from the Eagles’ front office late in the fifth round of the draft. What makes this pick even more cool is that Trotter’s father, Jeremiah Trotter Sr, also played for Philadelphia three different times in his NFL career. This made it a very emotional draft pick for both the Trotter family and the Eagles organization.
Even though Trotter fell down in the draft quite a bit, it could have been for the better. He will have a chance to make an immediate impact as Philly was in need of a linebacker.
Better Late Than Never
Two more Tigers who were picked up in the late rounds of the draft were defensive linemen Xavier Thomas and Tyler Davis. Thomas got selected in the fifth round by the Arizona Cardinals. He put in work from the moment the season ended to raise his stock drastically. With injuries and illnesses plaguing much of his college career, many believed there was a good chance Thomas would go undrafted. In our opinion, Arizona got a steal with Thomas. His explosiveness at the snap will make him a solid pass rusher off the edge.
Davis was the last Tiger selected after being taken in the sixth round by the Los Angeles Rams. Davis was one of the most decorated players in Clemson’s history. The four-time All-ACC defensive tackle will add much needed depth to the Rams defensive front. The Rams lost arguably the best defensive tackle of the last generation Aaron Donald. It is going to take a committee to replace a player like Donald. Davis is a great player to have as part of that committee.
Undrafted Free Agents
There were a few Tigers who did not hear their names called during the draft but still earned invites to rookie minicamps. Three former Tigers signed deals as undrafted free agents. The first of this group was center Will Putnam. The two-time All-ACC selection was a four-year starter for Clemson. In that time, he played multiple positions on the offensive line. This versatility will be an asset for Putnam as he tries to make the roster for the Las Vegas Raiders.
The second former Tiger to earn an undrafted free agent deal was safety Jalyn Phillips. In eight starts last season, Philips got himself 35 total tackles, two tackles for loss, five pass breakups, and a sack. He will try to earn himself a roster spot with the Los Angeles Chargers.
The last recipient of a rookie minicamp invite was defensive back Sheridan Jones. During his time at Clemson Jones got himself 108 total tackles. He played both nickel back and safety for the Tiger defense. Hopefully, that versatility will serve him well as he aims to make an impression at the Buffalo Bills rookie camp.
