The Clemson record for players taken in the first round of an NFL Draft is three, and that came in 2019 when Clelin Ferrell (No. 4 to Raiders), Christian Wilkins (No. 13 to Dolphins) and Dexter Lawrence (No. 17 to Giants) were selected in the opening round.

New mock drafts from these two national analysts predict Clemson to break that record for most first-round selections in a single year, when the 2026 NFL Draft gets underway next month.

Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports each project four Tigers to be selected in Round 1 – offensive tackle Blake Miller, edge rusher T.J. Parker, cornerback Avieon Terrell and defensive tackle Peter Woods.

McGuinness has Parker going to the Buffalo Bills with the 26th overall pick, while Fornelli sees Parker going to the New England Patriots with the 31st overall pick.

“The Bills signed edge defender Bradley Chubb, but that shouldn’t prevent them from looking at an edge defender in the first round. Parker racked up 40 combined sacks and quarterback hits over the past two seasons, leading to back-to-back 80.0-plus PFF overall grades,” McGuinness wrote.

“After his 2024 season, Parker was seen as a player who could be a top-five pick. A more ordinary 2025 significantly muted those expectations, but there’s still plenty to like,” Fornelli wrote.

Miller is projected by Fornelli to be the No. 17 overall pick of the Detroit Lions, while McGuinness projects Miller to be selected by the Houston Texans with the No. 28 overall pick.

“It may not be Miller, but given everything that’s happened in Detroit this offseason, it feels like offensive tackle is the most likely position here. Miller is a plus athlete who has shown the ability to excel in pass protection. He’s also one of the few OT prospects in this class worthy of a pick this early, with a clear tackle frame,” Fornelli wrote.

“The Texans signed Braden Smith, who has played right tackle in the NFL but may move to his college position of guard. Even if he sticks at right tackle, a future replacement would still be a good investment. Miller has been rising on draft boards, coming off an 83.5 PFF pass-blocking grade this past season,” McGuinness wrote.

Meanwhile, McGuinness predicts Woods to be selected one pick after Miller (No. 29 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs), while Fornelli sees Woods going to the Chicago Bears with the No. 25 overall pick.

“The Chiefs could boost their defensive line again with their second first-round pick, pairing David Bailey with Woods. While the Clemson star’s play dropped off somewhat in 2025, he notched an 80.0-plus PFF overall grade in 2023 and 2024,” McGuinness wrote.

“The Bears began overhauling their defense this offseason and could target any number of players here. One of the biggest problems this unit had last year was stopping the run, and Woods should help there while also offering the potential to collapse the pocket against the pass,” Fornelli wrote.

As for Terrell, McGuinness projects the Seattle Seahawks to take him with the final pick of the first round (No. 32 overall), while Fornelli has Terrell going 30th overall to the Miami Dolphins.

“The Super Bowl champions lost starting cornerback Tariq Woolen to free agency, and although they did bring back Josh Jobe, cornerback is a position of need. Terrell improved in each of his college seasons, excelling in coverage and establishing himself as a willing run defender (85.2 PFF run-defense in 2025),” McGuinness wrote.

“Given the moves the Dolphins have made this offseason, this looks like a team doing its damnedest to give itself a chance at an early pick next year in a deeper QB pool. Terrell is one of my favorite players in the class and fills one of many glaring needs, but he alone shouldn’t prove to be a serious hindrance to No. 1 pick contention in 2027,” Fornelli wrote.

The 2026 NFL Draft will take place from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.