A new, early 2027 NFL mock draft from CBS Sports projects two current Clemson stars to be first-round picks – one on each side of the ball.
The mock draft from CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer has Clemson wide receiver T.J. Moore going to the Houston Texans with the No. 20 overall pick in next year’s draft.
“What’s not to like about Moore?” Hummer wrote. “He’s a physical pass catcher at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds who’s shown an ability to win 50-50 passes and make difficult catches. He’s explosive off the line, tracks the ball well and is still evolving as a route runner.”
Three picks later, Hummer projects Clemson edge rusher Will Heldt, a third-team All-ACC selection last season, to come off the board as the No. 23 overall selection by the New England Patriots.
“A classically framed big edge rusher at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds with great length and twitch, Heldt had an excellent debut upon transferring to Clemson with 15.5 TFLs and 7.5 sacks,” Hummer wrote. “It will be interesting to see how he fares being the focus of opponents’ blocking schemes next season after playing next to several early-round picks in 2025.”
Last season, Heldt led Clemson in both sacks and tackles for loss while finishing fourth on the team (and first on the defensive line) with 48 total 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. Heldt is one of only 12 players nationally to reach 10 tackles for loss and five sacks in each of the past two seasons.
Moore will enter the 2026 season having amassed 97 receptions for 1,488 yards and nine touchdowns over 27 games across his first two seasons. He joined Justyn Ross, Artavis Scott and Sammy Watkins as the only players in Clemson history to record at least 650 receiving yards in each of their freshman and sophomore seasons.
As a sophomore in 2025, Moore led the Tigers with his 837 receiving yards while starting all 13 games. He earned third-team All-ACC honors from Phil Steele. Moore caught 45 passes for 651 yards and five touchdowns over 14 games in his freshman 2024 season.
A different, recently released 2027 mock draft from CBS Sports didn’t feature Moore or Heldt, but instead projected star Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown to land with the Patriots as the 28th overall pick.
The 2027 NFL Draft is scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C. in April 2027.