Clemson-Notre Dame Q&A: NFL Evaluation With Draft Expert Ryan Roberts
Don't take this ACC Championship Game for granted when it comes to pure talent.
Both Clemson and Notre Dame are loaded with players you'll be watching on Sundays for years, and to have so many really good football players in the same place is why this title contest is going to be special.
While Clemson SI took a look at these two teams from a recruiting perspective earlier this week, comparing the Tigers and Irish in terms of pro talent is equally eye-opening.
Ryan Roberts, the director of scouting for NFLDraftBible.com and co-host of Locked on Irish Podcast, gave AllClemson.com an NFL evaluation heading into Saturday's 4 p.m. game in Charlotte.
From Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence to Notre Dame signal-caller Ian Book to running backs Travis Etienne and Kyren Williams and more, Roberts breaks it down in this Q&A:
Clemson SI: What kind of effect, if any, do these top-3, big-stage matchups have on NFL draft stock?
Ryan Roberts: These games are huge for the evaluation. Evaluators always want to see prospects play good football against the best competition. If a player dominates against lower-level competition and it doesn’t translate against the best when the lights are the brightest, it can be a huge red flag. The jump in competition is extremely difficult to begin with, even more so if a player struggles on the uptick on the same competition level.
How do these teams matchup in NFL talent in the next couple of drafts? How many players could go in the first three rounds in 2021?
RR: Clemson is your typical Clemson team. There is talent everywhere, both experience and young alike. Notre Dame has their niches that they always develop well, mainly offensive lineman, but it is not nearly to the full scope that Clemson does at a majority of positions. The next three years look promising for both teams, especially Clemson.
As for 2021 NFL Draft specifically, we are looking somewhere between 9-10 players when all is said and done. On Clemson’s side, Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Amari Rodgers, Jackson Carman and Derrion Kendrick stand a good chance of being selected in the first three rounds. On Notre Dame’s side, Liam Eichenberg, Aaron Banks, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Daelin Hayes are the most likely candidates.
Obviously, Lawrence is the big-named QB in this game, but what has Book done for his draft prospects this season and could this rematch against Clemson help his stock even more?
RR: Book has really become a more consistent passer on a snap to snap basis, showing huge improvements from 2019. He is a really nice improviser outside of structure and has that “gamer” quality to him. He’s not a high-level prospect with starter upside but he has upside as a backup option at the next level. There are some obvious physical limitations to Book but he has played admirably for the team and has ascended to one of the more accomplished signal-callers in school history. Additional solid tape against good competition can never hurt, especially for a player who has become increasingly consistent in 2020.
Speaking of Lawrence, does he have anything left to prove in college or the combine to NFL scouts and executives?
RR: Lawrence could have sat out the entire 2020 season and It wouldn’t have changed a single part of his evaluation for me. He’s the best quarterback I have ever evaluated and deserves every bit of the “generational talent” label. What he does from here on out is just a bonus. This combination of size, athleticism, arm strength and intelligence doesn’t come around too often.
Can you compare Etienne and Williams in terms of the next level?
RR: Etienne is one of the more talented running backs I have had the opportunity to evaluate. His speed is the first thing that really pops off the tape. He is incredibly explosive, possessing the second gear to turn explosive plays into home runs with the blink of an eye. He’s also a more physical runner than you would anticipate, boasting outstanding contact balance to work through traffic. Add in an improved contribution in the passing game and we have a potential first-rounder in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Williams, on the other hand, is a very different player stylistically. He has solid enough speed and acceleration, but he makes his living working off of contact. Williams has superb contact balance and often churns out a ton of second- and third-level yardage. In the passing game, he is a smooth pass receiver who is also one of the better pass protectors you will find at the position on the college level.
I’d give the edge to Etienne currently, taking the explosiveness and home-run ability to be the sought separation.
Who are some of the under-the-radar players on both of these teams that you think will be good NFL players one day?
RR: For Notre Dame, Ben Skowronek comes to mind immediately. He was a graduate transfer from Northwestern who came in without much notoriety or expectation. Skowronek has flashed the ability to use his massive frame in the pass game, as well as competing his tail off as a blocker. He has been rewarded with an invitation to compete in the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl for his efforts. Skowronek is the type of player who will never be a high volume pass catcher on the next level but does enough to continually capture a roster spot on the next level.
On Clemson’s side, Amari Rodgers is another talented pass catchers who does not get the notoriety he deserves. Like Skowronek, he has already accepted an invitation to compete in Mobile. Rodgers is a dynamic slot receiver who brings a ton of ability as a YAC player, boasting a powerfully built frame with some next-level, short-area explosion. There is starter upside at the next level as a space player who can also contribute as a returner on special teams.
