Who’s up next for the Clemson Tigers after these key NFL Draft departures?

ESPN named the college football replacements for every first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

As you know, Clemson produced two first-rounders in this year’s draft – offensive tackle Blake Miller (No. 17, Detroit Lions) and defensive tackle Peter Woods (No. 29, Kansas City Chiefs).

Sophomore Brayden Jacobs is listed as the replacement, or the next man up, for Miller.

A highly regarded offensive tackle, Jacobs is the son of punishing former NFL running back Brandon Jacobs. Brayden played 368 offensive snaps over 10 games (four starts) in his impressive debut season in 2025. He suffered a season-ending foot injury after the Tigers’ win at Louisville on Nov. 14.

Brayden was ranked as high as the No. 55 overall prospect in the country for the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports.

“While the Tigers tackled other positions of need in the portal, Dabo Swinney opted to look in-house for replacements on the O-line — and for good reason,” ESPN wrote. “The Tigers have recruited well over the past few cycles at the position, and youngsters such as Brayden Jacobs appear poised for a breakthrough. At 6-7, 355 pounds, Jacobs is big, but he also moves well. He got four starts a year ago and held his own, but with a year of college development under his belt, the Tigers think he could be on the brink of stardom. There’s no easy replacement for Miller’s experience, and Clemson will have three new starters on the line, making chemistry a hot topic, but talent shouldn’t be a concern for the Tigers.”

Meanwhile, sophomore DT Amare Adams is pegged as Clemson’s next man up for Woods.

A South Carolina native, Adams joined Clemson as a five-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class.

The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder tallied 10 tackles in 107 defensive snaps across 10 games in his true freshman 2025 campaign. He missed some time last season due to injury as well.

“It would be nearly impossible for Clemson to replace Woods’ combination of size and athleticism, and though his stat line in 2025 rarely included gaudy numbers, he always had the attention of opposing coaches,” ESPN wrote. “With Woods gone — along with Demonte Capeheart — the Tigers will have a completely fresh interior line in 2026 and figure to build around their top signee from a year ago, Amare Adams. He was a consensus top-60 player coming out of high school and got a taste of action last year as a true freshman. He has the skill set to approach Woods’ level of production. Clemson has a pair of transfers — Markus Strong from Oklahoma and Andy Burburija from the juco ranks — who figure to push for snaps, too, along with former top-100 recruit Vic Burley, who played 175 snaps for Clemson a year ago.”