By Charlie Campbell
Weaknesses:
Summary: In 2021, Texas A&M fielded one of the best defenses in college football. Injuries and youth at quarterback kept the Aggie from being a playoff contender, but as their win over Alabama illustrated, their defense was for real, and Clemons was key cog in that machine. On the year, Clemons collected 32 tackles, seven sacks, one forced fumble and two passes defended. He recorded four sacks and 14 tackles in 2020 after recording 47 tackles and 1.5 sacks over the previous two seasons.
Clemons is still improving as a pass rusher and has the potential to grow in the NFL. He has the strength to fight with offensive tackles and uses his power and length to push around finesse offensive tackles. With a surprising burst, Clemons can close on the quarterback once he gets free, and when he arrives at the signal-caller, he mauls them. Clemons is a tough fighter who possesses good size and physicality.
Clemons may never be a big sack producer in the NFL because he has some stiffness and lacks pass-rushing moves. He could struggle to shed blocks from bigger offensive tackles who won’t be overwhelmed by his strength. Improving his pass-rushing moves, like assing a club and rip move to the inside would make him more dangerous.
In the ground game Clemons is solid thanks to having the size and strength to set the edge. He can get in trouble when he stands up too high, but when he maintains his leverage, he is tough to move and will maintain his gap integrity. Staying low to play with better leverage is always going to be a point of emphasis for him. After getting some pro coaching and provided he improves in leverage, he should be a good run defender to set the edge in either a 4-3 or a 3-4 defense.
Team sources say they think Clemons could be a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. They feel that he could start out as a backup and develop into being a solid starter.
Player Comparison: Tyrone Crawford. Clemons reminds me of Crawford coming out of Boise State. Both are physical, tough defenders with quality size. Crawford contributed somewhat to the edge rush, but was never a prolific pass rusher in the NFL. Clemons could be a similar pro. Crawford was a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, and Clemons could end up a third-round choice this year in the 2022 NFL Draft.
RELATED LINKS:
2022 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s
2022 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
2022 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
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