Could former Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker enjoy a breakout season right off the bat, in his first NFL campaign this year? 

This national outlet believes so.

CBS Sports identified one “under-the-radar” breakout candidate for each AFC team, or “players in the AFC that could become the breakout stars of the 2026 NFL season.”

For the Buffalo Bills, Parker was pegged as that breakout star candidate.

The Bills selected Parker in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft with the No. 35 overall pick.

“Buffalo traded out of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, which took some of the buzz away from what they accomplished over the course of the draft. However, their first pick, second-round edge rusher T.J. Parker, shouldn’t be overlooked,” CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan wrote. 

“Buffalo was in the bottom half of the league in total sacks in 2025, so there is a serious need to insert players who have a knack for getting after the quarterback. Sure, veteran Bradley Chubb, who signed a three-year, $52 million contract this offseason, will be the main figure tasked with adding pressure off the edge, but Parker should factor in as well. After all, Parker did have an 11-sack season at Clemson in 2024, which included 19.5 tackles for a loss and six forced fumbles. The talent is there, and if Parker taps into it early in his tenure with Buffalo, it could prove massive for the Bills’ hopes of reaching the Super Bowl.”

After earning freshman All-American honors in 2023, Parker was a second-team All-ACC selection for his performance in 2024, when he was the only player in the nation to rank in the top 10 nationally in forced fumbles (T-2nd), tackles for loss (5th) and sacks (9th).

Parker tallied 144 tackles, including 41.5 for loss in his Clemson career from 2023-25. Of those 41.5 tackles for loss, 21.5 were sacks. He also forced six fumbles, recovered six fumbles and broke up five passes in his 39-game career.

The Phenix City, Ala., native exited Clemson ranked 10th in career sacks and tied for fourth in career fumbles recovered. He also set the Clemson record for forced fumbles in a single season with his six in 2024. He was the only player in the nation to reach both five forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries across the 2024 and ’25 seasons.

Parker became the 25th defensive lineman selected in the NFL Draft in Dabo Swinney’s head coaching tenure, the 11th Clemson player drafted by the Bills in the NFL Draft all-time, and the fourth defensive lineman selected by the Bills in the first 35 picks of a draft since 2016, the year in which they selected former Clemson All-American Shaq Lawson.