With this year’s NFL Draft in the books, way-too-early 2027 NFL mock drafts are rolling out online.

Several different Clemson players have popped up in first-round projections for next year’s draft, with defensive end Will Heldt being the most prominently featured.

USA Today has Heldt going to the Detroit Lions with the No. 18 overall pick. Of course, the Lions took Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller with the No. 17 pick in the first round of this year’s draft.

“The Lions traded up in the second round to take Derrick Moore as Aidan Hutchinson’s running mate, but it might be hard to resist first-round options next year. One promising possibility could be Heldt, who was talented enough to change the mind of noted transfer holdout Dabo Swinney,” USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote. “If the 6-6, 260-pound edge rusher continues to develop after posting 7 1/2 sacks last season, he could enjoy the draft surge that many of his former teammates missed out on in this cycle.”

CBS Sports predicts Heldt to land with the New England Patriots as the No. 25 overall selection.

“A former Purdue transfer, Heldt is coming off a strong 7.5-sack campaign in his first season under Dabo Swinney,” CBS Sports’ Cooper Petagna wrote. “A long, sudden mover at 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, he has a knack for making plays in the backfield, pairing strong instincts with the ability to impact both the run and pass.”

Meanwhile, Athlon Sports sees Heldt going to the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 28 overall pick.

“This will obviously depend on whether or not Tuli Tuipulotu gets a long-term contract extension this year, but if that doesn’t happen, the Chargers will need to spend a second-straight first-round pick on another edge defender who can make an instant impact,” Athlon’s Luke Easterling wrote.

Heldt also appears in The Sporting News’ 2027 first-round mock draft, but so too does Clemson wide receiver Bryant Wesco.

In fact, The Sporting News sees Wesco and Heldt going back-to-back, with the final two picks of the first round – Wesco to the Los Angeles Rams at No. 31, and Heldt to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 32.

“The Rams didn’t invest in wide receiver early as expected in 2026, but they will be more accelerated to do so with Davante Adams under contract for one more year. Wesco can replace that big scoring ability with some field-stretching juice,” The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer wrote.

“Heldt, who started his career at Purdue, will be the ideal addition to the Seahawks’ pass-rush rotation as a delayed replacement for Boye Mafe.”

Wesco is also in theScore’s 2027 mock draft, going to the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 26 overall pick.

“With A.J. Brown’s days in Philadelphia likely over, the Eagles call Wesco’s name at No. 26,” theScore’s Dane Belbeck wrote. “He’s a burner who can take the top off the defense with electric after-the-catch potential. Wesco needs to add some bulk to his frame, but he could become a very dangerous weapon at the professional level.”

Bleacher Report’s 2027 first-round mock features two different Clemson players in wide receiver T.J. Moore and cornerback Ashton Hampton.

Bleacher Report projects Moore to the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 26 pick, and Hampton to the Chargers with the No. 28 pick.

A mock draft by SB Nation has Hampton going in the first round as well, to the Lions with the No. 22 overall pick. Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown is also projected as a first-round pick in that mock, going to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 28 pick.

The 2027 NFL Draft is currently scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C. in April 2027.