The Clemson Tigers continue to produce top-tier NFL Draft prospects year after year. 2023 is no exception to that rule. Here are the scouting reports for each Clemson prospect that could hear their name called during this year’s three-day event.
Clemson 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
Bryan Bresee, DT
Strengths: Large, athletic DT who takes over games. Quick, explosive, and shows a lot of athleticism. Knocks blockers back with violent hand punch or splits double-team blocks to collapse the pocket. Agile for a big man, slides down the line of scrimmage, and nicely redirects to make the tackle.
Keeps his feet moving, works his hands throughout the action, and displays a variety of moves. Fluid if asked to twist or stunt and moves incredibly well for his size. Powerful, bull rushes opponents off the line, and occupies gaps. Fights hard throughout the action.
Weaknesses: Must do a better job keeping his knees bent and consistently play with leverage as he gets tall. Doesn’t make plays in pursuit.
Overall: Bresee turned in a phenomenal freshman campaign in 2021, when he was a one-man wrecking crew up front for Clemson. He struggled through injury as well as personal tragedy last year, dealing with a kidney infection and the death of his younger sister from cancer. Bresee possesses a tremendous amount of upside potential as well as scheme versatility, yet he must do a better job bending his knees and playing with leverage.
Want more information on Bresee? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson | NFL Draft Scouting Report
Davis Allen, TE
Strengths: Hard-working tight end who is effective as a blocker and as a pass catcher. Blocks with leverage, stays square, and keeps defenders in front of him. Keeps his head on a swivel and always looks for someone to hit. Displays terrific blocking vision. Shows good route discipline and adjusts to the errant throw. Extends his hands and makes the reception away from his frame. Tracks the pass in the air and is a consistent hands catcher.
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Weaknesses: Decelerates into blocks when put in motion. Plays to one speed and lacks a burst. Plays like an average athlete.
Overall: Allen was efficient as both a pass catcher and a blocker for Clemson, then went on to have three terrific days of practice at the Senior Bowl. He comes with average size and speed but does enough things well to get consideration as the third TE on a roster. While he may be selected in the very late part of the draft, Allen’s film says free agent, in my opinion.
Jordan McFadden, G
Strengths: Terrific college left tackle who projects to guard at the next level. Fires off the snap into run blocks, displays strength, and turns defenders from the line. Keeps his feet moving, makes great use of angles in pass protection, and keeps his head on a swivel.
Stays with assignments and works his hands throughout the action. Bends his knees, stays square, and anchors at the point. Quick to the second level and flashes ability blocking in motion.
Weaknesses: Lacks smooth and fluid footwork in space. Struggles adjusting to pick up the blitz. Occasionally late with his hands.
Overall: McFadden was a terrific three-year starter for Clemson at both left and right tackle. He’s a strong lineman who flashes a lot of ability blocking in motion and offers possibilities in both a power gap or zone-blocking scheme. McFadden also comes with 34-inch arms, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him starting by the end of his rookie season.
Want more information on McFadden? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Jordan McFadden, OT, Clemson | NFL Draft Scouting Report
Joseph Ngata, WR
Strengths: Big-bodied receiver with deceptive speed and quickness. Fires off the line of scrimmage, uses his hands to separate from defenders, and knows where he is on the field. Runs solid routes for a big man. Tracks the pass in the air, lays out or extends to make the reception, and displays eye/hand coordination.
Natural hands catcher who snatches the ball out of the air. Uses the sidelines well, displays strength, and competes to come away with the difficult grab.
Weaknesses: Though deceptively fast, he lacks true deep speed. Somewhat stiff. Was never overly productive for Clemson.
Overall: Ngata possesses the size, hands, and pass-catching skill to make an NFL roster as a fourth wideout. He’ll be a solid underneath receiver or red-zone target, though Ngata must really step up his production to have a long NFL career.
Want more information on Ngata? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Joseph Ngata, WR, Clemson | NFL Draft Scouting Report
K.J. Henry, EDGE
Strengths: Undersized college pass rusher who can stand over tackle or come out of a three-point stance. Shows a lot of power, quickness, and speed. Quick off the snap, effective with his hands, and displays a variety of moves to protect himself or get off blocks. Breaks down well and plays with proper knee bend.
Easily changes direction or immediately alters his angle of attack. Bends the edge with speed and can flatten then pursue the action from the back side. Can be dropped off the line on zone blitzes, gets depth on pass drops, and makes plays in space. Easily redirects to the action. Plays faster than his 40 time.
Weaknesses: Lacks bulk and gets smothered by blockers. Lacks great athletic numbers for the next level.
Overall: Henry was a solid defensive front-seven player who made a lot of tackles against the run and made plays behind the line of scrimmage. He showed a great deal of ability and athleticism during Senior Bowl practices and offers possibilities at the next level as a situational pass rusher in a 3-4.
Myles Murphy, EDGE
Strengths: Explosive college pass rusher who is also an outstanding athlete. Moves well in any direction, displays good change-of-direction ability, and quickly gets out to the flanks in pursuit of plays. Plays with balance as well as body control, fires off the snap with a quick first step, and shows a closing burst.
Plays with outstanding pad level, gets leverage on opponents, and displays a variety of moves to get off blocks. Gets a lot of momentum going upfield and can be a one-man wrecking crew. Agile, easily redirects to plays, and even gets depth on pass drops when asked to play in space.
Weaknesses: Lacks bulk and strength and gets controlled at the point. Easily ridden from his angle of attack. Has been a liability against the run.
Overall: Murphy made an immediate impact at Clemson as a freshman in 2020 then showed continued progress in his game. He’s an outstanding athlete and a disruptive force as a pass rusher with the ability to be used in a variety of roles. Murphy must add bulk to his frame and improve his playing strength, but he offers immediate starting potential at defensive end in a four-man line.
Want more information on Murphy? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson | NFL Draft Scouting Report
Trenton Simpson, LB
Strengths: Incredibly athletic linebacker who easily makes plays in every direction. Agile, fast, and quickly redirects to plays. Catches ball handlers in backside pursuit or easily runs downfield with tight ends in coverage. Gets depth on pass drops, moves laterally with speed, and covers a tremendous amount of area on the field.
Fast enough to recover from mistakes and has a closing burst to the action. Breaks down well, wraps up tackling, and brings larger ball handlers down in space.
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Weaknesses: Lacks bulk and gets knocked off the ball by tight ends. Indecisive and bites on ball fakes.
Overall: Simpson is an athletically gifted LB who plays with an explosive style. While his instincts are of concern to me, the ability to cover a large amount of area in a short amount of time is appealing. He offers scheme and positional versatility, but Simpson may need to play in a simple defensive system.
Want more information on Simpson? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson | NFL Draft Scouting Report