2022 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Edge Micheal Clemons, Texas A&M

Aggies edge rusher Micheal Clemons has some talent and upside as a potential Day 3 prospect if teams can get past some of the off-field issues.

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Mar 1, 2022 11:24 AM EST

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Texas A&M Aggies

Micheal Clemons, EDGE

Height: 6’5
Weight: 270 lbs.
Class: RS-Senior
School: Texas A&M

A former three-star recruit out of Sachse High School in Sachse, Texas, Clemons was the 5th ranked Texas recruit during the 2017 cycle. He was a JUCO transfer from Cisco Junior College.

Clemons missed the 2018 season with a foot injury that sidelined him for the season. He played three healthy years after that foot injury. However, he did suffer a leg injury that limited him to five starts in 2020.

Notables

Clemons has some baggage. He was arrested in the summer of 2021 and was charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon, failure to identify/give false information, possession of fewer than two ounces of marijuana, and driving with an invalid license. Clemons was suspended for one game and returned to action in week two against Colorado.

After his return, he assembled an impressive senior season; he recorded 19 STOPS, 17 tackles, 46 pressures, eight sacks, and 27 hurries for the Aggies. He finishes his career at Texas A&M with 50 STOPS, 57 tackles, 85 pressures, 16 sacks, and 46 hurries (Pro Football Focus).

Strengths

Exceptional physique, chiseled
Long limbs, uses length very well
Very good athlete, closes width quickly
Is a bit high waisted; still saw some ability to bend through contact and corner
Despite his size, he plays with solid initial leverage off snap
Solid overall explosiveness and burst
Maintains low-profile through bull-rush for a long legged player
Generates good power through his lower-half
Explodes through his hips into his target
Strong punch: deliberate striking location in close quarters as pass-rusher
Has several pass rush moves, all very violent
Can string several moves together as a pass-rusher; seems to have a plan of attack
Has an array of counter moves
Coverts his speed/burst to power with good bull-rush
Moves solidly in space

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Can Improve

Could anticipate snaps better to maximize first-step
Is a bit high before the snap, but tends to dip low when power rushing
Can get a little out of control when attacking OTs outside shoulder through a wide-angle; he’s typically balanced, but I saw him lose his footing unnecessarily up the arc
Saw bend through contact, but being high-hipped will prevent him from bending in limited space
Moves quicker coming downhill than he does moving laterally
Needs to become quicker at diagnosing and reacting to rushing plays
Has strength/length to set edge, but positioning leaves B-gap too open
Would attempt to shed by moving laterally vs run; made it hard for him to leverage his gap at times
May only be an EVEN front end
Injuries and character must be evaluated

Summary

Overall, Micheal Clemons jumped out to me on film while watching an opposing offense and his teammate DeMarvin Leal. I became interested and started watching more of Clemons.

He’s got a solid burst off the snap (when anticipated well) with excellent length and strong, effective hands that jolt OTs. I appreciate Clemons’ ability to rush the passer; he uses both his hands well with swipes, can convert speed to power, has inside counter moves, and is nimble enough to pull off spin moves.

He’s functional as a run defender, albeit he can refine that area of his game. Clemons has the upside to be a three-down starter in a 4-3, EVEN, front team. Injuries and character have to be analyzed, however.

GRADE: 6.1 (C) -- Might not be selected until sometime on Day 3l “C” stands for character flag.