ESPN NFL Draft analysts Matt Miller and Jordan Reid took an early look at the 2027 draft class, ranking the top five prospects at each position as things currently stand ahead of the upcoming college football season.

Three Clemson defenders are high on the board at their respective positions — linebacker Sammy Brown, defensive end Will Heldt and cornerback Ashton Hampton.

Reid ranks Brown as the No. 1 linebacker in next year’s draft class, while Miller ranks Brown as the second-best linebacker prospect, behind only Rasheem Biles of Texas.

A high school Butkus Award winner, Brown earned freshman All-America honors in his debut season in 2024 while also being named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Brown continued to be a force on Clemson’s defense as a sophomore last season, when he racked up 106 tackles — tied for second most in the ACC — while posting 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, seven pass breakups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception. He was a third-team All-America selection by Phil Steele, as well as a first-team All-ACC honoree by the conference, the AP and Steele.

The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder enters the 2026 season credited with 194 tackles (25 for loss), 10 sacks, 11 pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery over 27 games (19 starts) in his first two seasons. He is one of only 14 players nationally to post 10-plus tackles for loss and five or more sacks in each of the last two seasons, alongside Heldt.

Brown recently made CBS Sports’ list of the 26 “most feared” defensive players in college football entering the 2026 season, and CBS Sports is also one of the outlets that have projected Brown to be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Meanwhile, both Miller and Reid rank Heldt as the fifth-best edge rusher in the 2027 draft class.

Reid identified Heldt as the toughest player at his position to rank.

“With T.J. Parker and Peter Woods off to the NFL, Heldt is now the top defender along Clemson’s defensive front,” Reid wrote. “The Purdue transfer flashed during his first season with the Tigers, finishing with 7.5 sacks. At 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, Heldt has the size and traits to pique the interest of NFL scouts. Many are interested to see how he performs in a bigger role in Year 2 at Clemson.”

Heldt has been prominently featured in first-round projections for next year’s draft.

Heldt’s outstanding first year as a Tiger in 2025 saw him tally 48 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, four pass breakups and a forced fumble over 13 games (all starts). He led Clemson in both sacks and tackles for loss while finishing fourth on the team (and first on the defensive line) in tackles.

Heldt came to Clemson last offseason following two productive seasons at Purdue. He played in all 24 games for the Boilermakers from 2023-24, totaling 68 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks and a fumble recovery over his two seasons.

The 6-foot-6, 260-pounder was one of only 12 players nationally to reach 10 tackles for loss and five sacks in each of the past two seasons.

As for Hampton, Reid ranks him as the third-best cornerback for the 2027 class, with Miller ranking Hampton at No. 5.

Hampton enters the 2026 season credited with 77 tackles (3.5 for loss), 17 pass breakups, three interceptions (including one he returned 53 yards for a touchdown) and a sack over 27 games (17 starts).

The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder broke out during his freshman campaign in 2024, earning Freshman All-America honors, and then followed that up with a strong sophomore season last year during which he posted 47 tackles (three for loss), a sack, an interception and 11 pass breakups across 13 games (all starts).

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