CLEMSON — No modern draft class in Clemson’s football history has been better than what happened in 2019.
The 2019 Clemson NFL Draft Class had six Tigers selected overall. However, it was not the total number of Tigers that made it so good. It’s what happened in the first round that made it historical.
What happened in the first round?
If you recall, three Clemson defensive linemen were selected in the first 32 picks. Actually, they did not need all 32 picks, as Celin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence were all off the board by the 18th pick.
It marked the first time that three former Clemson players were taken in the opening round of an NFL Draft. But there is more.
Ferrell’s selection at No. 4 to the Raiders got things going. Everyone, including the Clemson defensive end, was stunned to see him taken off the board so early in the draft. He was supposed to be picked behind Wilkins.
Speaking of Wilkins, he did not wait too much longer to hear his name called. He fell off the board with the 13th overall pick to the Miami Dolphins.
Not long after Wilkins’ pick, NFL history happened.
Lawrence, who is now considered the top defensive tackle in the NFL, was selected at No. 17 by the New York Giants, which marked the first time one school had three defensive linemen taken in the first round of an NFL Draft.
Defensive end Austin Bryant was taken off the board in the fourth round by the Detroit Lions (117). It was the first time four starters from the same college defensive line were selected in an NFL Draft, cementing the Tigers’ “Power Rangers” as the greatest defensive front in the history of college football.
Cornerback Trayvon Mullen was also picked up by the Raiders at No. 40 overall in the second round, while wide receiver Hunter Renfrow became a Raider when he was drafted No. 149 overall in the fifth round.
Again, another historical mark, as the Raiders became the first NFL franchise to take three players from the same college in a modern NFL Draft.
How can this year’s class top the 2019 Clemson Draft Class?
I am not sure it will happen, but there is a chance three Tigers could go in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Maybe even one or two more.
Offensive tackle Blake Miller, wide receiver Antonio Williams, defensive tackle Peter Woods, defensive end T.J. Parker and cornerback Avieon Terrell could hear their names called in the first round.
Again, I do not think that will happen, but it is a possibility. If four or five Tigers hear their named called in the opening round in Pittsburgh, Pa., it will be a Clemson record. Of course, they can tie it with three.
Then there are four more Tigers who are also possible draft picks. Quarterback Cade Klubnik, running back Adam Randall, defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart and linebacker Wade Woodaz could all go in Day 3 of the draft.
If all nine players are selected between April 23-25, the 2026 Clemson class will tie the 2016 class with the most picks in school history in the modern seven-round NFL Draft era, which began in 1992.
So, maybe, just maybe, this year’s Clemson Draft Class could be better than the 2019 class. I guess we will find out soon enough. Oh, and if it is a record-setting class, it makes what happened in 2025 even more of a head scratcher, right?