After Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller (No. 17 overall to the Detroit Lions) and Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods (No. 29 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs) were selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night, three more Tigers came off the board Friday night on Day 2 of the draft.
Edge rusher T.J. Parker and cornerback Avieon Terrell were both taken in the second round, with Parker going to the Buffalo Bills as the No. 35 overall pick and Terrell landing with the Atlanta Falcons as the 48th overall pick, reuniting with his brother – former Clemson star and Falcons All-Pro cornerback AJ Terrell.
Wide receiver Antonio Williams was then drafted in the third round by the Washington Commanders with the No. 71 overall pick. With the selection of Williams, Clemson set a school record with five picks through the first three rounds of a draft, surpassing the previous record of four.
During ESPN’s broadcast of the draft, longtime analyst Mel Kiper Jr. gave his thoughts on the Day 2 selections of Parker, Terrell and Williams.
Here’s what he had to say about each of them:
Kiper on Parker:
“It didn’t come together. He had three sacks in the final game against a South Carolina offensive line that was frankly awful, and they couldn’t block anybody. So, you get the three sacks there. 6-3.5, 263 pounds. He has enough arm length at 33 ¼. 4.68 40. He should be a guy who was wreaking havoc on a regular basis. He can win with power or speed when he’s at his best. The impact plays were noticeably down in 2025. You talked about the speed off the edge – he didn’t show it in the games I saw on tape. … I think there’s some things to work with there. In 2024, he looked like, going into this year, he would be an elite guy. It did not come together for T.J. Parker. Senior Bowl week, though, he looked good.”
Kiper on Terrell:
“Only defensive back in the Dabo [Swinney] era that had two sacks in a game. He did that against Florida State. He forced five fumbles this past year. He plays with great savvy. He plays to be opportunistic. When underachievers were going on at Clemson, guys not playing up to the level expected, Avieon Terrell did. He played with that emotion every week. He was consistently out there getting the job done. Eight forced fumbles over the last two years. He got off to a good start. In that game against LSU, first week, he had six tackles, a pass breakup and a forced fumble. [LSU CB] Mansoor Delane [selected by the Chiefs with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft] – Avieon Terrell was equaling his performance. Mansoor Delane didn’t have a forced fumble this year. He had five. So, he finds a way. He’s not a traits guy. He’s a baller.”
Kiper on Williams:
“Outstanding football player. I think the hamstring injury obviously held him back early. When he got to 100 percent, he was catching the ball on a regular basis, making plays. Led the Tigers, even with the hamstring and the missed time, with 55 catches and four touchdowns. Talk about season-highs – 10 catches, 143 yards against Duke. You talk about a slot receiver, returner – has a lot to offer. I really like this kid.”
