The 2024 NFL Draft is scheduled to be held in Detroit from April 25–27.
A trio of Clemson products are among the players on this national outlet’s 2024 NFL Draft Big Board.
Pro Football Focus gave who it sees as the top 75 prospects for April’s draft, and three former Tiger defenders made the list: cornerback Nate Wiggins, linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro.
Wiggins is the highest-ranked, coming in as the 13th-best draft prospect overall.
Wiggins earned first-team All-ACC honors as a junior in 2023, when the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder tallied 25 tackles (one for loss), a team-high nine pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one sack and two interceptions (one of which he returned 46 yards for his second career touchdown) over 10 games (seven starts).
“Wiggins has legit ball skills and shutdown athletic abilities,” PFF’s Trevor Sikkema wrote. “He needs to be more consistent in run defense and with the overall strength parts of his game, but he might be at the top of the list of corners you’d want to tell, ‘Go make sure that receiver doesn’t catch the ball.'”
Trotter, meanwhile, checks in at No. 67 on PFF’s list of the top 75 draft prospects.
A Butkus Award finalist and All-America selection by a slew of different outlets, the 6-foot, 230-pounder was credited with a team-high 88 tackles, a team-best 15.0 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two interceptions (including one he returned 28 yards for a touchdown) over 12 games (all starts) as a junior in 2023.
“At just 6-foot and 230 pounds, Trotter likely won’t get the draft love that his game deserves,” Sikkema wrote. “His smaller size does impact his range in coverage and in pursuit, leading to a few missed tackles. However, he makes up for that lack of size with fantastic recognition. He has earned coverage grades above 82.0 in each of the past two seasons and has four interceptions and six forced incompletions in that time, as well. He is such a smart player to have in the middle of a defense.”
As for Orhorhoro, he is ranked No. 74.
A fifth-year veteran, Orhorhoro started 12 games for Clemson in 2023, earning third-team All-ACC honors after tallying 22 tackles (8.0 for loss), a career-high 5.0 sacks and a pass breakup.
“Orhorhoro is 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds and played a lot inside, but he is a tweener type of prospect,” Sikkema wrote. “Clemson used him all over the defensive line, and he generated 26 quarterback pressures and a solid 75.8 overall grade this past season.”