This star Clemson defender could hear his name called very early in next spring’s NFL Draft.

Two months into the 2026 college football season, ESPN NFL draft analyst Field Yates projected which prospects could go in the top 10 picks of the 2027 NFL Draft.

Yates projects Clemson cornerback Ashton Hampton as the No. 10 overall pick to the New York Jets in his early 2027 NFL mock draft.

Hampton has earned midseason first-team All-American honors while demonstrating elite size, fluidity in coverage and strong ball-hawking, playmaking skills.

“This is the second of the two first-round selections the Jets got in the Sauce Gardner trade (the first of which was in 2026), which they could use to bolster their cornerbacks room,” Yates wrote.

“Hampton has excellent size (6-2, 205 pounds), is extremely fluid and is confident as a man cover corner. He also makes plays on the ball, with nine passes defensed and an interception this season.”

Hampton’s nine passes broken up put him in a tie for first among all FBS players nationally in that stat category heading into Week 8 of the college football season. The junior has also tallied 19 tackles, including two for loss, across six games this season.

The 2027 NFL Draft is scheduled to take place from April 29 to May 1 in Washington, D.C.

Yates and fellow ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. recently showered high praise on Hampton as a top-tier NFL Draft prospect.

Hampton broke out during his freshman campaign in 2024, when he appeared in all 14 games, made four starts, and earned freshman All-America honors after recording 30 tackles, six pass breakups and two interceptions, including one he returned 53 yards for a touchdown.

Hampton followed up his debut season with a strong sophomore season in 2025, locking down a key role in the secondary. He recorded 47 tackles, a sack, an interception and 11 pass breakups while starting all 13 of Clemson’s games.