Part 6, Edge: Why the Clemson Curse 'scares the shit' out of the NFL
Can Myles Murphy break the run of draft flops? A bizarre run of disappointments has scouts wary. Scouts explain. Also inside: Why Will Anderson is (by far) the best in class at pass rusher.
This is the 39th year that Bob McGinn has written an NFL Draft Series. Previously, it appeared in the Green Bay Press-Gazette (1985-’91), the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (1992-’17), BobMcGinnFootball.com (2018-’19), The Athletic (2020-’21) and GoLongTD.com (2022-’23). Until 2014, many personnel people were quoted by name. The series reluctantly adopted an all-anonymous format in 2015 at the request of many scouts. The 12-minute, 50-question Wonderlic test no longer is administered at the NFL combine. Players generally took the test at spring 2022 timing days, all-star games and pro days in March and April. The NFL average score is about 19.
Today, Part 6: Edge rushers.
It comes up every year in probably every draft room. Say hello to the Clemson Curse.
For all the success Clemson football has enjoyed for decades, NFL teams often haven’t benefited. The only reason this story is being written stemmed from the fact that three scouts, without solicitation, brought up the stigma associated with players from Clemson.
“I’m really biased here because I’ve scouted a bunch of busts at this school,” a seasoned evaluator said. “But that Clemson helmet scares the shit out of me on the defensive line. Enough of us have been burned over the years. You’re forever on guard.”
In my poll asking 17 scouts which edge rusher had the best chance to bust, one personnel director picked Myles Murphy. Asked why, he replied, “You know. Clemson.”
Murphy led the way with five votes, compared to three for Will McDonald and Tyree Wilson, two for Isaiah Foskey and one for Zach Harrison, BJ Ojulari and Nolan Smith. There was one no vote.
“When Murphy flashes, he is a Top 15 pick,” said another long-time evaluator. “But there are series where he disappears. He’s a great kid. He’s got all the tools. He’s going in the first. But he’s got that Clemson stigma.”
From there, I began to ask scouts to explain this pox over Clemson that became evident to me in the mid-1980s.
“You know what they do?” another weathered scout said. “They test really well. It’s been like that for 25 years. Clemson’s hard (to scout) because they’re so f--king spoiled. They’re entitled. Unless you’re squeaky clean, I wouldn’t touch you.”
Go Long is powered by our readers. We aim to cover the sport through a longform lens. No ads, no sponsors, no corporate masters.
Thank you for supporting independent journalism.
Ron Wolf, the Hall of Fame general manager, spent almost 40 years in the scouting profession with the Raiders, Buccaneers, Jets and Packers. He has been to Upstate South Carolina many times, where the city of Clemson (pop, 18,000) is located west of Greenville.
“I always felt that their players looked a lot better physically than they played, if you get what I mean,” Wolf wrote via email last week. “However, they did put a lot of players in the game. You just had to be sure of the one you were going to select. I tried to stay away from there because I was burned a couple times.
“That did not stop me from taking Wayne Simmons, who turned out to be a very good player but never got the recognition he so richly deserved. The same could not be said about (Antuan) Edwards. He was a disappointment because of his overall skill and athletic ability.”
Simmons, the 15th player selected in 1993, was a menacing presence on the strong-side during the Packers’ championship season of 1996. He was traded to Kansas City in mid-1997, self-destructed in 1998 and, in 2002, died in a one-car crash involving alcohol and high speed.
Edwards, the 25th choice in 1999, was a failure at cornerback, at safety and on special teams.
Everyone has a history with Clemson players. In my 40-plus years covering the Packers, the only other Tigers they drafted were defensive tackle Donnell Washington (third round, 2004) and wide receiver Amari Rodgers (third round, 2021). Coach-GM Mike Sherman drafted Washington, who was so bad he never played in a regular-season game. GM Brian Gutekunst drafted Rodgers, who was so bad he was cut after 1 ½ seasons and almost zero production.
“I trust you get what I am trying to say,” Wolf concluded. “If one is interested in a player from Clemson, you best do your due diligence.”
He added: “Interesting they only have one player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brian Dawkins. But that (DeAndre) Hopkins kid that plays for the Cardinals is, in my opinion, an elite player and will eventually end up in the Hall.”
The timing is appropriate for an examination because Clemson might be ready to have three players drafted in the first round Thursday. Defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, linebacker Trenton Simpson and Murphy have some things in common.
They all were 5-star recruits in 2020, but not just any old 5-stars. Bresee was the No. 1 defensive tackle prospect (and No. 1 overall player) in that recruiting class, Murphy was the No. 1 strong-side defensive end (and No. 7 player overall) and Simpson was the No. 1 outside linebacker (and No. 26 player overall).
One personnel chief was quick to link the three. “Every defender at Clemson this year has got a soft label to him,” he said. “That’s just the way Dabo (Swinney) runs that program. That’s part of the monster you’ve got to live with. It’s the D-line, the O-line, it’s a lot.”
Another scout viewed Murphy as a strong bust candidate, which as a defensive front seven player from Clemson has haunted scouts for decades.
“Even the guys this year, I feel like there’s something missing with each one,” the scout said. “I don’t know what it is about Clemson defensive players. It is really strange … it’s very odd. They obviously had the quarterback (Trevor Lawrence) and running backs and receivers. They had the tight end (Dwayne Allen) with the Colts. Other than that, not really.”
Of the 36 players from Clemson that have been drafted in the first round, subjective judgment would label 15 as busts: defensive end Clelin Ferrell, defensive end Shaq Lawson, defensive end Vic Beasley, linebacker Stephone Anthony, wide receiver Sammy Watkins, defensive end Gaines Adams (who died young), cornerback Tye Hill, wide receiver Rod Gardner, Edwards, running back Terrence Flagler, wide receiver Perry Tuttle, defensive tackle Jim Stuckey, quarterback Steve Fuller, running back Bobby Gage and back Banks McFadden.
The three-year career of Cardinals linebacker-safety Isaiah Simmons, the eighth player chosen in 2020, has been a disappointment.
Clemson has had 12 defensive linemen and four linebackers taken in Round 1 but not one offensive lineman. In fact, of the 38 offensive linemen the Tigers have had play in the NFL, only Washington center Jeff Bostic (1983) made a Pro Bowl.
Dawkins, the Tigers’ lone Hall of Fame enshrinee, was a second-round selection in 1996. Of the second-round picks since Dawkins, three could be categorized as good players (cornerbacks Dexter McCleon and Marcus Gilchrist, wide receiver Tee Higgins) and nine as busts (linebacker Patrick Sapp, linebacker Rahim Abdullah, cornerback Junior Miller, defensive end Phillip Merling, defensive end Da’Quan Bowers, defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins, safety T.J. Green, defensive end Kevin Dodd and guard Jackson Carman).
“We’re not supposed to grade schools,” one personnel man said. “But, you know, how do you not bring it up a little bit?”
Several scouts say Clemson is considerably less forthcoming than most schools when it comes to dealing with NFL personnel regarding its players.
“Dabo’s the worst,” said one scout. “You go to pro day and he talks about everyone on the team as if they’re the next great NFL player. It’s, like, c’mon, man. He talks about the fifth-year senior that hasn’t played and he’s talking about he should be a starter in the NFL.
“He’s so full of shit. That whole culture says a lot about a team and the players. Pampering players, making excuses for them, enabling certain things with players.”
Unlike some universities that have all sorts of restrictions, Clemson is welcoming to NFL personnel. Scouts don’t expect Swinney and others to tear kids down but when there’s an issue, known or not, they would appreciate more honesty.
“They generally paint every single one of their players in a positive light,” said one executive. “Which is fine, but there has to be a level of honesty, too, when it comes to an off-field issue or a character issue. If that’s being hidden, or swept under the rug, and you find out about it when you get these guys and they end up as busts or getting in trouble, it’s a stigma that’s legitimately placed.”
Swinney, according to another executive, treats players as if they’re his own kids.
“So they really get kind of babied,” he said. “They don’t get coached hard. They get entitled a little bit.”
Another reason why Clemson players don’t have a better track might be the conference it has called home since 1953. The Atlantic Coast Conference is known for basketball, not football, and the caliber of play always has paled when compared to the neighboring Southeastern Conference.
“Maybe the competition level in the NFL was short of a shock to them,” the scout said.
My poll of 17 scouts asked them to pick their top five edge rushers on a 1-2-3-4-5 basis. It was a runaway for Will Anderson, who captured 15 first-place votes and totaled 82 points.
Following Anderson, in order, were Tyree Wilson (54, one), Myles Murphy (33), Lukas Van Ness (29), Will McDonald (19, one), Nolan Smith (16), Isaiah Foskey (seven), BJ Ojulari (four), Derick Hall (three), D.J. Johnson (three), Viliami Fehoko (two), Tavius Robinson (one), Tuli Tuipulotu (one) and Byron Young (one).
“There isn’t a dominant guy,” a personnel director said of the edge-rusher group as a whole. “It’s not bad. Not great.”
When the 17 scouts were asked to pick the best pass rusher in the draft, the vote was: Anderson, 10; McDonald, three; Jalen Carter, two, and two players, Calijah Kancey and Wilson, each with one.
Full scouting reports on all top edge rushers — with analysis from personnel men across the NFL — are below. You can catch up on Bob McGinn’s entire draft series right here, too:
EDGE RUSHERS
1. WILL ANDERSON, Alabama (6-3 ½, 253, 4.64, 1): Third-year junior. “He’s special,” one scout said. “In the Iron Bowl against Auburn a year ago he made the first six plays of the game, and four of them were away from him — either at the line of scrimmage or behind. He plays fast and quick. He’s one of those kids, he sees through blockers two steps ahead of time. He knows where the ball’s going and he gets there because he is full speed.” One of the most decorated defensive players in college football history. “I’d play him like Khalil Mack,” said a second scout. “He’ll be a Pro Bowl player. He’s blue chip.” Arms were 33 7/8 inches, hands were 9 7/8 inches. “The composition of who he is too good (to bust),” a third scout said. “Depending on how high he goes he might not meet expectations, but I don’t think he’s going to fail. He’s going to lead. He’s going to be a great addition. Maybe a better version of Chris Long. Clay Matthews was different in terms of being a looser athlete. They’ll have some similar production.” Started 41 of 41 games, finishing with 205 tackles (62 for loss) and 34 ½ sacks. “He’s long, physical, high motor,” a fourth scout said. “He has a little stiffness which those guys (Myles Garrett, Von Miller) didn’t. Aware, strong, three-down player. About the same size as Clay (Matthews). You just love the effort. Yet he’s a little tight, not sexy or flashy but a very good player. Kind of T.J. Wattish.” Scored 15 on the Wonderlic test. “I don’t see much upside there,” a fifth scout said. “I thought he was a momentum rusher. He looked fantastic on twists and stunts and loops where he can get going. But to say he’s just going to straight edge rush and beat offensive tackles of NFL caliber, I think he’s going to get blocked. The one game he went against an NFL tackle (Tennessee’s Darnell Wright), he got shut out. Stymied. Velcro’d. I think he’s got to be a guy that goes against some fullbacks, tight ends and then stunts to the inside. He’s not going to bomb. But, wow, is he Chase Young, Joey Bosa, Myles Garrett? No. Clay Matthews had more twitch and quickness than him. What was Clay? Eighteen or 20 (No. 25)? Yet, that’s the guys we’re comparing him to. Yet, he’s going to go third or fourth. Terrible draft.” From Hampton, Ga.
2. TYREE WILSON, Texas Tech (6-5 ½, 274, no 40, 1): Spent two years at Texas A&M, redshirting in 2018 and playing in a rotation in ’19 before entering the transfer portal. “Couldn’t cut it,” one scout said. “Jerry Schmidt is an old-time strength/conditioning coach (formerly at A&M, now at Oklahoma). He just couldn’t do it. Goes to Texas Tech. He fits every prototype on measurables. But the offensive tackle play in that league (Big 12) is atrocious. So he’s not beating anybody. I think he’s going to get overdrafted for what he’s actually going to do. He’s had two Lisfrancs, one in each foot, plus something else (back). He’s got work ethic-toughness questions. He’s got injury questions. He (went) against papier-mache tackles. You could put a highlight tape together and say, ‘Oh, my God, this guy’s the first pick in the draft.’ But then you really look at and what he’s going against and then you’re, like, ‘That’s overrated.’” Extremely long arms (35 5/8), hands were 9 5/8. “He’s the best pass rusher in the draft and will be the most productive,” said a second scout. “Big body. Can get to the quarterback in a lot of different ways. Has size, length, strength, power. He was slippery.” Only a 3-star recruit from Henderson, Texas. “Has enough foot movement and hand movement to have the tackle kind of frozen on the island,” a third scout said. “Works both inside and outside. But he’s inconsistent. You’ll have to coach him to put pressure on him. He’ll have to live up to it. But when he goes, he can go.” Finished with 121 tackles (32 for loss) and 17 sacks. “I don’t trust him,” said a fourth scout. “He’s long and he can turn speed into power. He played against linemen who suck. I don’t think he can athletically beat an NFL blocker clean. The way he runs, he’s probably 4.78. He could bust.” Wonderlic of 12. “Long-armed guy who doesn’t know how to play,” a fifth scout said. “Slow twitch as far as the mind. Doesn’t see blocks coming. He does flash some power as a pass rusher but that’s all he’s got. Just tries to run you over. Not athletic. No speed on the edge, no plan. Just another big guy that you’re hoping for as a project to develop.”
3. LUKAS VAN NESS, Iowa (6-5, 275, 4.62, 1): Third-year sophomore. Redshirted in 2020 as a 3-star recruit, then played 27 games without a start as coach Kirk Ferentz kept seniors in the lineup. “Played up and down the line,” one scout said. “This guy is all ball. All A-plus across the board. He is raw. He will take some time. He’s got some traits like J.J. Watt had.” Largest hands (11) of the group. Arms were 34. “He’s in the mix of like a Grant Wistrom,” said a second scout. “He’s certainly more gifted than Aaron Kampman. In the (Kyle) Vanden Bosch and Patrick Kerney mold where you’ll get a day’s work out of him. His value is he can probably play anywhere across a 3-4 or 4-3 except for pure nose. You can stick him inside in sub. He’s a little bit straight line. What he does have is strong hands. How do you take a guy (high) who’s never started a game?” Posted 20 on the Wonderlic. “His game is sound,” a third scout said. “It’s based on strength and physicalness more than finesse and athleticism. He features a lot of inside hands slipping and escaping. Very fundamental against the run. Very good point-of-attack and area defender. Excellent timing with his shed. Average twitch. He’s a model prisoner, too, and that’s why I’m surprised he departed after two years (of playing).” Finished with 71 tackles (19 ½ for loss) and 13 ½ sacks. Never forced a fumble. “The (not starting) is just the way Iowa does it,” said a fourth scout. “Part of that, too, is they knew what they had in him and they didn’t want him to start this year thinking he’d come back. They won’t ever admit that but it has to be. It’s not like he wasn’t playing. He still played 50 snaps a game.” From Barrington, Ill. “I don’t see a twitchy enough guy to play on the edge and be disruptive,” said a fifth scout. “He’s got some pushback ability but he doesn’t have like knockback ability so I worry about him inside and if he’s truly explosive enough to come off the ball and rock people. It’s more like he gets into guys and pushes them. There wasn’t a lot of difference between doing him and Ryan Nelson (fourth round, Tampa Bay, 2019).”
4. MYLES MURPHY, Clemson (6-4 ½, 269, 4.53, 1): Third-year junior. “He’s the old-fashioned complete player,” one scout said. “He can hold up against just about anything and give you a halfway decent pass rush. Thing I like is he has a little guy’s traits in a big, strong body.” Three-year starter at right end but played some inside, too. “His play doesn’t always show that (mid-first round status),” a second scout said. “But then you look at him physically and it’s easy to fall in love with the size, the length and the flashes of edge-setting and anchor and physicality.” Arms were 33 ¾, hands were a tiny 8 ½. “He’s a quick edge rusher,” said a third scout. “He can win with both speed and power. He can bend. Little bit of trouble countering and redirecting. That was my biggest nick on him. I like him — to a point. We’re talking about another Clemson guy, right? I just felt there was something missing with him. Maybe the production. At the end of the day I just wanted him to do more. He got stuck on blocks he should have got off, that type of thing. He looks good.” Finished with 139 tackles (37 for loss) and 17 ½ sacks. “You just wonder how wired he is,” a fourth scout said. “He’s not wired poorly. He’s a great kid. There’s something missing. You expect more.” Scored 22 on the Wonderlic. “He showed up at the combine wearing glasses and talking about his engineering degree,” a fifth scout said. “’What’s the most difficult thing you’ve had to overcome?’ ‘Oh, man, my freshman year, two-a-days at Clemson, we’d go down in that muck and it’s hot and sweaty and muddy, man, it was miserable.’ It killed the kid. All these defensive line coaches got together and they’ve been talking about it ever since. They don’t think he’s tough enough. They don’t think he’s committed. I don’t know what to make of it.” From Marietta, Ga. “He scares me,” a sixth scout said. “Welcome to Clemson. ‘I’m long, I’m athletic, I can bait you into certain things. But am I a bad ass?’”
5. WILL McDONALD, Iowa State (6-3 ½, 245, 4.74, 1): Might have clinched a berth in Round 1 with a boffo performance at pro day. “The workout was f--king phenomenal,” said one scout. “Bending, just the way he gains ground. With the athleticism, I see him getting drafted higher than he should. I’m rooting for him wherever he goes. He’s just a different bird, an interesting cat.” Played basketball early in high school but never tried football until his sophomore year. “He’s the wild card in this whole thing,” said a second scout. “He has want and will. He’s determined to be really good. There’s something there with this guy that leads me to believe he’s going to be really good. Great kid. He’ll be up to 255 sooner than later.” His pro day included position bests in the broad jump (11-0) and 3-cone (6.95). “His bend is the best there is, or as good as it can be,” a third scout said. “He can move his body in ways that nobody else can. Awesome athlete. Initially, he’s going to be a designated pass rusher. He’s got a ways to go to be effective in the run game. He’s just not that strong and it doesn’t come naturally to him against the run.” Long arms (34 7/8), hands were 9 ½. “He’s going to be a double-digit sack guy as a rookie,” a fourth scout said. “They played him like a 4i (technique) where he was always tight on the tackle. They never let him get out wide and just let him rip. His get-off is ridiculous. He was a 6-9 high jumper in high school. There’s some stuff in his background, a really rough background. But he has crushed the interviews.” Some teams are concerned about his Wonderlic score of 8. “As talented as he is, is he mature enough to handle the NFL and what’s going to be asked of him Monday through Friday?” said a fifth scout. Finished with 123 tackles (42 for loss) and 34 sacks. “Will’s biggest thing will be his weight,” said a sixth scout. “Can he put on enough weight to be a true defensive end and play the run? Natural pass rushers are hard to find that have that explosiveness off the ball and the ability to bend the edge and close. He’s got all that and more.” From Pewaukee, Wis.
6. NOLAN SMITH, Georgia (6-2, 240, 4.41, 1-2): His senior season was cut short in October by a torn pectoral injury that required surgery. “Is he talented,” exclaimed one scout. “He’s got to start out as a designated pass rusher. Let him build into the system. Got explosiveness, speed, knows how to use his hands. He can turn (the corner) or slice inside the tackle. When he wants to, he’s really good. But there’s a degree of scariness to him. He’s 238. I can’t find a comparable (player). He can get up the field and stress (tackles) with his speed. In the NFL, I don’t know if he can turn speed into power. He may creep up in the first.” In one meeting room, the comparison was mildly made to legendary Lawrence Taylor. “Maybe there’s some Haason Reddick in him,” said a second scout. “He’s a smaller edge rush guy. Plays really hard. Doesn’t have great length. Where is the role for him? Can he be an off-the-ball linebacker?” Arms were 32 5/8, hands were 9. Vertical jump of 41 ½ led the position. “He’s one you really take a chance on, OK?” said a third scout. “He’s got measurables that are unreal. He can play. He won’t bust.” Two-year starter, four-year player. Finished with 114 tackles (21 for loss) and 11 ½ sacks. “He’s not Haason Reddick,” a fourth scout said. “Reddick kicked ass in college (at Temple). Productive as hell. (Smith) wasn’t productive at all. He’s just out there. He’s not good against the run. There’s no pass rush. On two of his three sacks (in 2022) he just runs free. There’s no evidence that this guy can be a good player.” Wonderlic of 11. From Savannah, Ga.
7. ISAIAH FOSKEY, Notre Dame (6-5, 263, 4.65, 2): Broke Justin Tuck’s school sack record with 26 ½. “People get tied up because he’s not a sexy athlete but he uses everything he has to the max,” one scout said. “More of a technical rusher. Little bit limited as an athlete, little bit tight. But he knows how to rush the passer. He’s strong. Uses his hands well. Whoever takes him will be happy with him.” Arms were 34, hands were 9 7/8. “Average toughness,” said a second scout. “He’s not an alpha. Doesn’t have that killer mentality. Could play nastier, but shifty and speed kills.” Fourth-year junior with 122 tackles (31 ½ for loss) and seven forced fumbles. “At the end of the year I thought this kid was one hell of a player,” said a third scout. “He’s really been underrated. He’s aggressive to the quarterback. Does he beat guys up on the field? No. But he’s tough enough.” Wonderlic of 23. “I don’t think he’s an instinctive football player,” a fourth scout said. “Looks body beautiful but plays by the numbers. I was disappointed in him.” From Antioch, Calif.
8. DERICK HALL, Auburn (6-2 ½, 254, 4.58, 2): Three-year starter at OLB in a 4-3 defense. “Love the kid,” said one scout. “High-effort, motor guy that isn’t athletically gifted enough to play outside linebacker. He’s got to be a 4-3 defensive end, an undersized 4-3 defensive end.” Finished with 146 tackles (29 ½ for loss) and 19 ½ sacks. “Makes out-of-position plays,” a second scout said. “Does all kinds of things to make plays. Has a hump move, the Reggie White move. That’s pretty good for a guy that’s 252. Very athletic with great acceleration. Is effective with his long arms. Can outrun the drop-back of the tackle and backdoor the quarterback.” Arms were 34 ½, hands were 10. His short shuttle of 4.20 led the position. “He was the leader, the bright light in the dark room with (coach Bryan) Harsin and all that controversy,” said a third scout. “It’s a disaster of a year, and he held it together. He’s a hard-charging guy. He’s not going to be a premier 12 sacks-a-year guy, but he’s going to get six to eight. You’re going to know exactly what you’re getting. He’ll raise the level of the guys around him. Very, very hard worker. Vocal leader. One of the few legit leaders that you find. There just aren’t that many of them. Everybody’s on their phone or scared to speak up.” Wonderlic of 18. “Try hard,” said a fourth scout. “Gets swallowed up at the point of attack. More of a straight-line, effort (rusher). Tweener.” From Gulfport, Miss.
9. BJ OJULARI, Louisiana State (6-2 ½, 251, no 40, 2-3): His brother, Azeez (6-2, 245, 4.62) was the 50th player drafted in 2021 out of Georgia. For the Giants, he has 13 ½ sacks in 24 games, including 18 starts. “He’s better than his brother,” said one scout. “He might be the most natural pass rusher of the group. Played in a 2- and 3-point stance. He’s the one guy that can rush the passer and play against the run and drop off and play in space.” Third-year junior with long arms (34 ¼) and large hands (10 ½). “I compared him to Dorance Armstrong from 2018,” a second scout said. “More polished than the other guys. Had more savvy. Good strength. I’ll say he goes 45 to 60.” Finished with 129 tackles (25 for loss) and 16 ½ sacks. “More of a guesser than a fundamental type player,” said a third scout. “He believes in his athleticism. Sometimes guys have been able to make plays even though they’re out of position. They’ll gamble. He’s got a little of that. Misses a lot of tackles. Exceptional stop-and-go quickness. He will also drop. Relies on great getoff and speed to outrun blockers.” Wonderlic of 20. From Marietta, Ga.
10. BYRON YOUNG, Tennessee (6-2 1/2, 252, 4.46, 2-3): Came from nowhere. Wasn’t recruited because of academics. Worked for 18 months at Dollar General before playing two seasons at Georgia Military Academy. “He’s a top-50 player,” one scout said. “Big, thick, muscled-up guy that can change direction. Usually those guys have some rigidity. This guy’s rocked-up and loose. Really good rushing off other people like on twist games. He’s got to take the next step beating people one-on-one, which he did this fall. Powerful on contact. Can really chase things down.” Started 21 of 24 games for the Volunteers as a DE, finishing with 83 tackles (23 ½ for loss) and 12 ½ sacks. “He has amazing field speed,” a second scout said. “Very quick and very disruptive into gaps. Plays stronger than his size. Looks like a pinball. He disrupts offenses about as much as anybody and he doesn’t even know he’s doing it. Intense snap to whistle.” His broad jump of 11-0 tied McDonald for the positional best. Short arms (32 ½), hands were 9 ¼. “He just has no clue,” said a third scout. “He’s 25 so how much more is there to get from this guy? He just doesn’t ever finish on anything or know how to finish. If he’s supposed to go left he goes right. If he’s supposed to bull rush he tries to spin. When I first started watching him I thought he was Dante Fowler. Tough, leader. But you could fall in love and say, ‘Yeah, we’re going to make something out of this guy.” Scored 18 on the Wonderlic. From Georgetown. S.C.
11. FELIX ANUDIKE-UZOMAH, Kansas State (6-3, 256, no 40, 2-3): Third-year junior, two-year starter at RE in an odd front. “More in the Will McDonald mold — more of a pass rusher,” one scout said. “Certainly not anywhere close to the athlete McDonald is. He’s fluid. He can play the run but it’s not what he does best. Probably goes late two, early three. He’ll be a good pro. I guess he’d run low 4.8’s.” Barely played in 2020 before starting 27 games the past two years. “Much like Micah Parsons with his non-stop foot movement,” a second scout said. “Features an extended long arm and works from there. He gets very quick position with his arc rush and often outruns (tackles). On occasion, he will get caught in the rhythm and get knocked around by big linemen. Good football player. Rotational pass-rush guy.” Finished with 100 tackles (26 ½ for loss) and 20 ½ sacks. Arms were 33 1/2, hands were 9 5/8. “Just doesn’t have feel,” a third scout said. “I think he’ll always look like this. Just a backup guy you hope makes it on teams and gives you some energy.” From Kansas City.
12. D.J. JOHNSON, Oregon (6-4, 261, 4.52, 3): Played eight games at Miami in 2017 before transferring. Redshirted in 2018, backed up at DE in ’19 and caught 10 passes as a TE in ’20. Played on both sides of the ball in ’21 before starting as a standup rush end in ’22. “He is rugged,” said one scout. “Got some jolt and leverage. Plays hard. Coming off the edge he can get off the ball and bend. Got a little power bull rush. Reminded me of Frank Clark. Just kind of a tough, straight-line, go-get-it, energy player. Not a silky-footed athletic guy. ‘Just this is what I got and I’m bringing it.’ Wish he was 22 instead of 25 (will be 25 in October).” Arms were 33 ¼, hands were 9. “Under the radar,” said a second scout. “He’s older. This guy plays with his hair on fire. He comes hard off the edge. He had 28 on the bench (press, tops among the top 20 edge rushers).” Finished with 67 tackles (15 ½ for loss) and nine sacks. From Sacramento, Calif.
13. TULI TUIPULOTU, Southern California (6-3, 268, no 40, 3): Led FBS in 2022 with 13 ½ sacks. “You root for him, OK?” said one scout. “He’s not a really top athlete but he just gives you everything he has play after play after play. I want this guy on my team. Those are the guys that end up playing. He’s tough and has a big heart. Led the nation in sacks and I don’t know how. He just makes plays.” Has weighed as much as the high 280s. Was 266 at the combine, 268 at pro day. “Built like a DT,” a second scout said. “They played him on the edge but he has no chance out there. He plays with leverage at the point of attack. He tries. He’s a 3-4 defensive end but the 3-4 guys like a bigger guy. He’s kind of a man without a position. Utility sort of backup try-hard guy.” Arms were just 32 ¼, hands were 10 1/8. Third-year junior, three-year starter. Finished with 116 tackles (30 for loss) and 21 sacks. “He was a very good football player in a very good program,” said a third scout. “He’s around the quarterback a lot. He’s a unique guy. He just doesn’t look like an edge guy to me. He’d be better as an (inside) player than an edge rusher.” From Hawthorne, Calif.
14. ZACH HARRISON, Ohio State (6-5 ½, 271, no 40, 3-4): His arm length (36 ¼) was the second longest at the combine behind Buckeyes RT Dawand Jones. “He’s got rare length and rare speed,” said one scout. “One of the best size-speed combos in the draft at any position. For 3 ½ years of his career he looked like he was an underachiever. Around October, he started to put it all together. He was playing harder. It was looking like he was getting it. The medical thing (back, hamstring) will be interesting to see whether it affects where he gets picked. As kind of a jumbo outside backer, the old elephant position, tools-wise, there’s a lot there.” A two-year starter, he finished with 106 tackles (25 ½ for loss) and 13 sacks. His 28 on the Wonderlic was the highest among the top 30 edge rushers. “I don’t think he loves football,” said another scout. “He looks the part, there’s no doubt about it. Your D-line coach better be on top of this guy to get the best out of him.” From Lewis Center, Ohio.
15. YAYA DIABY, Louisville (6-3 ½, 263, 4.57, 4): Unrecruited out of high school, he worked at an airport in 2017 and then walked on at a junior college and played two seasons. Three-year starter at DE in a three-man front. “Looks the part,” one scout said. “Put him and Harrison together getting off the bus and it’d be (for the opponent), ‘We’re going to get our ass kicked today.’ They played him all up and down the line, mostly as a 5-technique. He’s a tweener, a nonfactor. Not really athletic enough for the edge and not big or strong enough for inside. The length (33 7/8 arm) is intriguing. He has short-area athletic ability.” Finished with 94 tackles (19 ½ for loss) and 10 ½ sacks. “Tested off the charts,” said another scout. “He’s not an edge rusher. He was used a lot there at Louisville. More of an inside player. His 10 time (1.54) was ridiculous for a guy his size. He’s developmental, but it’s really hard to find those guys with that arm length and that getoff. He’s probably a year or two away.” From Atlanta.
OTHERS: Tyrus Wheat, Mississippi State; Viliami Fehoko, San Jose State; Isaiah McGuire, Missouri; Dylan Horton, Texas Christian; Andre Carter, Army; Ali Gaye, Louisiana State; Mike Morris, Michigan; Tavius Robinson, Mississippi; Nick Hampton, Appalachian State; Lonnie Phelps, Kansas; K.J. Henry, Clemson; Thomas Incoom, Central Michigan; Jeremiah Martin, Washington; Josh Ramirez, Eastern Michigan; Eku Leota, Auburn; Isaiah Land, Florida A&M; Robert Beal, Georgia.
THE SKINNY
UNSUNG HERO
Andre Carter, Army: Registered 15 ½ sacks in 2021, second in FBS behind Alabama’s Will Anderson. Slumped to 3 ½ last season despite missing just two games. With Army having a rough season, he obviously had fewer third-and-long sack chances. “He’s a good bender and a really good foot athlete for a tall guy,” one scout said. “He’s got some pass-rush knack. But he ran 4.9. That just shocked me. I didn’t see a 4.9 guy on film.” Based on new federal government policies, Carter (6-6 ½, 256) will be allowed to delay his service commitment until after his playing days. The Black Knights haven’t had a player drafted in the first six rounds since 1947.
SCOUTS’ NIGHTMARE
Mike Morris, Michigan: A first-year starter, he led the team in sacks with 7 ½ and was named Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. Before the combine, one personnel man predicted he’d be a Top 50 pick for sure. Then Morris (6-5, 274) ran 5.04 at the combine and even slower (5.08) at pro day. “I think he ran himself out of that (edge) position,” said another scout. Perhaps Morris’ best chance now would be to bulk up to 295-300 and try as a defensive end in a 3-4.
SCOUT TO REMEMBER
Frank Gilliam: Beginning in 1970, Frank Gilliam was a prominent fixture in the Minnesota Vikings’ personnel department for 38 years. As director of player personnel, he worked side-by-side with Jerry Reichow for that entire time. Gilliam, an All-Big Ten end, and Reichow, the starting quarterback, were teammates at Iowa in the mid-1950s. Reichow already was in Minnesota assisting coach Bud Grant when their alma mater fired Gilliam as its wide receivers coach. He hired his old friend, and for most of those 38 years they directed the team’s personnel department. Gilliam died on April 2. He was 89. “Frank had grown up in football and really studied it,” Reichow told the Vikings’ website. “I don’t think we ever had an argument in all those years working together because I think we complemented each other with how we did things. From the start, we hit it off really well.”
QUOTE TO NOTE
NFL personnel man: “Georgia is the new Alabama. All these guys are treated as monsters but when you look at them individually they’re not that good. Last year’s class at Georgia, greatest of all time. Jordan Davis. Travon Walker, first pick of the draft. Quay Walker. They work out like crazy, but when you really break them down they’re not that good.”
New to Go Long? Catch up on a handful of features below…
Why Damar Hamlin is exactly what the Buffalo Bills need
The Fight for Erik Kramer’s Life
It's Jordan Love Time
Tua Time
The Detroit Lions Must Break You
It's a new day for the Minnesota Vikings
'It was a bad, bad situation'
The Green Bay Packers have a plan (it's genius, too)
Is Daniel Jones the future?
The Majik Man's final comeback
You don't know Yannick Ngakoue
 | A guest post by
|
I moved to Greenville 2 years ago. The Clemson team is super coddled. The local media treats the team like an NFL team and Dabo like he's the greatest coach since Bear Bryant. Were it not for Watson and Lawrence, that team wouldn't have done jack.
A local critical of the team put it best: "How many OL and DL do you see in the NFL? Not many."
I love your work, Bob. My daughter goes to Clemson, so I may be biased. I think your being hard on them. 2 national championships, 6 straight playoffs, going thru Alabama twice, Oklahoma, Ohio State.
A.J. Terrell, Grady Jackson, Dexter Lawrence, Tee Higgins, DJ Reader, Deshawn Watson, Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Hunter Renfrow, Mike Williams, Christian Wilkins and DeAndre Hopkins.