ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller recently got his first in-person look at Clemson defensive end T.J. Parker, and it’s safe to say Miller came away very impressed.
Miller was on hand for the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and he broke down what he saw there during an appearance on former ESPN analyst David Pollack’s See Ball Get Ball show.
Miller gushed over Parker, who was a big-time standout performer during Senior Bowl practices. By all accounts, including Miller, Parker bolstered his stock ahead of this spring’s NFL Draft.
Miller says Parker “solidified himself as a first-round pick” thanks to his week at the Senior Bowl.
“T.J. Parker from Clemson was another one where I’ve been watching him play on TV for three years. I’d never seen him in person because I’m in Missouri, he’s in South Carolina. Clemson doesn’t come to this side of the Mississippi very often,” Miller said.
“So, to watch him play in person and to see the long-arm ability that he has, the length, the power in his hands, and then how well he counters off of that – to watch that in person — and not just in one-on-ones. … I think one-on-ones are slanted heavily toward defensive linemen over offensive tackles. … But TJ Parker had a really good week, and I think he solidified himself as a first-round pick.”
The 2026 NFL Draft is set to take place from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
A 2023 freshman All-American and 2024 All-ACC selection, Parker piled up 144 tackles (41.5 for loss), 21.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and five pass breakups over 39 games (29 starts) in his Clemson career from 2023-25. He leaves Tigertown ranked 10th in career sacks and tied for fourth in career fumble recoveries, and he set the Clemson record for forced fumbles in a single season with six in 2024.
In 2025, the 6-foot-3, 260-pounder was credited with 39 tackles (9.5 for loss), five sacks, two pass breakups and a team-high three fumble recoveries across 12 games (all starts). He finished the regular season with a flourish, as he was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week after collecting four tackles (3.0 for loss), three sacks and a fumble recovery in the rivalry finale at South Carolina.
Miller’s latest 2026 NFL mock draft has five Clemson players coming off the board over the first two rounds, with three of them going in the first round, including Parker. Miller has Parker going to the Dallas Cowboys with the 20th overall pick.
