2026 NFL Scouting Report: T.J. Parker

T.J. Parker, 6-3/265
Defensive End
Clemson

T.J. Parker Prospect Preview

By Charlie Campbell

Career Recap:

Parker was a top recruit to Clemson, and he made his presence felt immediately for the Tigers. In his freshman campaign, Parker contributed 5.5 sacks with 33 tackles while rotating with other defensive linemen. In 2024, Parker produced an excellent season for the Tigers, totaling 11 sacks with six forced fumbles and 57 tackles.

2025 Season Outlook:

Parker will see some good talent during the 2025 season, and it will start with LSU in the opener. However, the Tigers are replacing their starting tackle tandem from last year, so it could be a good matchup for Parker to start his junior season with a high-profile performance. Other notable games to watch, according to Parker, include North Carolina (Oct. 4), Louisville (Nov. 14), and South Carolina (Nov. 29).

Prospect Summary:

In the passing-driven NFL, there are always teams looking to get a natural quarterback hunter around the edge, and Parker has that ability. Parker shows a nice skill set with speed around the corner and functional strength to keep tackles from latching onto him. With an advanced ability to use his hands and feet at the same time, Parker keeps climbing upfield while breaking the hands away from tackles. Parker has a developed upper body and impressive strength for an edge defender who is not overly big. While he is not an outstanding bender, he shows some ability to dip and sink his hips to get around the corner. Parker has speed to get upfield, and if a tackle can’t get depth in their drop, they are in big trouble with Parker.

Another attribute that really jumps out about Parker is his superb instincts to go for the ball when he gets to the quarterback. Parker is very cognizant of smacking at the ball, and he hits quarterbacks hard. His forced fumble total last year was legit, and he did an outstanding job of creating turnovers for his defense. If Parker shows consistency with creating forced fumbles, that is going to get a ton of pro evaluators very excited about him.

Parker showed solid run defense in 2024 as well. His upper body strength translates to effective tackling in the ground game, and his speed makes him a solid defender against pursuit runs. It will be interesting to see his official measurements and if a lack of length is going to be an issue in the NFL.

In 2025, there are parts of his game that Parker can stand to upgrade and improve upon. He could stand to react faster to the snap. While Parker is quick, in some plays, he does not seem to react as quickly as possible to the snap of the ball. In other plays, he really fires off the ball, so consistency could improve. He also could stand to refine pass-rushing moves. Parker uses speed around the corner well with his active hands, but spins to the inside, and rip moves would be nice to add to his rush plan for attacking NFL offensive tackles.