The Clemson Tigers have as many as seven and possibly eight players who could be taken in the 2026 NFL Draft this week in Pittsburgh.
Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt sees two Clemson players going in the first round in his final mock draft, beginning with edge rusher T.J. Parker as the first of two Tigers chosen with back-to-back picks.
Klatt sees Parker landing with the Los Angeles Chargers' first-round pick at No. 22 overall.
"The Chargers need help along the edge. We know coach Jim Harbaugh wants to build a run well and have his defense work from the inside and out. T.J. Parker was widely considered to be a surefire top-10 pick entering the 2025 season. He didn't have the season that many had hoped for him, though. I don't know what happened at Clemson this past season, but the talent is still there with Parker." --Joel Klatt, Fox Sports.
Where Clemson players land in Mel Kiper’s final NFL draft Big Board📸 Ken Ruinard, Gannett-USA TODAY NETWORK https://t.co/Df1Zxja4RH pic.twitter.com/QjSbfHuylo
Parker indeed had a disappointing final season at Clemson, finishing with only 37 tackles (18 solo) and five sacks in the Tigers' 12 regular-season games. That was almost half off his production from a sophomore season that saw him make 57 tackles (34 solo) and register 11 sacks, albeit in two more games than in 2025.
Interestingly, Klatt sees another Clemson player landing one spot after Parker: offensive tackle Blake Miller at No. 23 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Klatt said of why Miller makes sense for the Eagles:
"Maybe the Eagles go with an edge rusher or a wide receiver with the A.J. Brown trade rumors still lingering. They can also grab Lane Johnson's heir apparent at right tackle with this selection. Miller is a really experienced and good player. We know the Eagles are at their best when their offensive line is leading the way for them."
Clemson duo named 'perfect prospects' for these teams at NFL Draft📸 Kirby Lee, Kirby Lee-Imagn Images https://t.co/9gHcx2SbQb pic.twitter.com/vDUAkaYvSM
Round 1 of the 2026 NFL draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday from Pittsburgh. Rounds 2-3 begin at 7 p.m. on Friday with rounds 4-7 at noon Saturday.
The NFL draft will be televised on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson starters go back-to-back in NFL Draft first round, Klatt says