2026 NFL Scouting Report: T.J. Parker

Prospect Summary:

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. In 2025, Parker had 37 tackles with five sacks, 9.5 tackles for a loss, and a pass broken up. Parker did not play as well in 2025, and sources say he was pressing to try to duplicate his sack numbers and did not play as freely as a result.

For the NFL, Parker is a power edge defender who has serious strength for his size. In the pass rush, Parker is a power rusher with a vigorous bull rush to get a push into the pocket. Parker has shock in his hands and plays with good leverage to get underneath the pads of blockers. Parker can roll tackles back as well with a long arm on the inside while he works upfield. Parker has some functional quickness, but he is not a true speed rusher.

In the ground game, Parker is a rock-solid defender. He owns the c-gap and is tremendous at setting the edge. Parker is tough to shed the block and pursue the ball carrier. While Parker is not a huge end, he plays like one as a run defender and will be an asset as a run defender in the NFL.

In the 2026 NFL Draft, many team sources said they graded Parker as a second-rounder, but a few think he could sneak into the first round. Parker looks like a future starter as a tough run defender that can contribute some in the pass rush, but will never be prolific. Check out my latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft to see where Parker is projected to go.