ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. says this former Clemson player is the best at his position.
Clemson should have a good amount of players taken in the 2023 NFL Draft. Defensive end Myles Murphy appears to be a lock for the first round, Bryan Bresee should go in the second, and K.J Henry, Davis Allen, and Joseph Ngata have all received strong draft grades, but one player, in particular, has stood out to ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.
According to Kiper, inside linebacker Trenton Simpson is the best player at his position in the Draft. Kiper has Simpson ahead of guys like Drew Sanders from Arkansas and Iowa's Jack Campbell. Simpson certainly has a chance to be a high pick, often being projected as an early second-round pick, in large part due to his athleticism.
He shined at the NFL Combine, running a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash. That number was good for second among linebackers. At 6-foot-2, 234 pounds, his athleticism is elite. While at Clemson, Simpson totaled 165 tackles in 33 games, including 23.0 tackles for loss and 13.0 sacks.
Most mock drafts have Simpson going somewhere in the second round. ESPN's Matt Miller projected that he'd be selected by the Atlanta Falcons at No. 44. The Falcons have had a strong history of drafting Clemson players, selecting Vic Beasley in the first round and watching Grady Garrett develop from a 5th-round pick into an All-Pro defensive tackle.
The NFL Draft begins on April 27th from 8-11 p.m. (Round 1). April 28th from 7-11:30 p.m. (Rounds 2-3). April 29th from Noon-7 p.m. (Rounds 4-7). The Draft will air on the NFL Network, ESPN, ABC, and ESPN Deportes.
