Leading draft analyst respects Clemson program, but isn't as high on 2023 prospects

Bryan Bresee is a prospect where there's some disagreement on just when his name will be called.

by Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Fri Apr 21 07:00:15 GMT-04:00 2023

NFL.com top draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah respects Clemson as a program and the players it has produced, but when it comes to 2023 first-round prospects, he is a little more down on the projected top trio.

He projects defensive tackle Bryan Bresee going early on Day 2 of the draft in Round 2, and the same round two call goes for linebacker Trenton Simpson as well.

“Bresee and Trenton Simpson, I have as my 36th and 44th overall players. I think both those guys are early second-round picks,” Jeremiah said. “I would say Bresee still has a chance to go in (round) one. He can still very much be in that mix. I would say all three of those guys (Myles Murphy, Bresee and Simpson) should be gone by the 50th pick.”

While Simpson getting drafted in the second round seems to fit with other analysts, this belief regarding Bresee does not. Despite injuries and personal hardships, the seasoned defensive tackle had an impressive day at the NFL Combine with a 40-yard dash time of 4.86 seconds. That is quite fast for a player of his size at 298 pounds. Further, some experts have him getting drafted before teammate defensive end Myles Murphy. Jeremiah is not one of them, however.

“(I would) say 15 to 25 would probably be the sweet spot for him where he ends up coming off the board,” Jeremiah said regarding Murphy. “I think he has a lot more in his body than what we’ve even seen. I think he can bull rush. He is powerful. He is long. I think he is only going to get better as he adds more tools as a rusher.”

In his own mock draft last month, Jeremiah had Murphy getting drafted by the Houston Texans at No. 12 overall. This does not fit with what he most recently said, and furthermore, Murphy was seen at the time of the NFL Combine back in the beginning of March as a top-10 prospect.

However, there is more discrepancy with when Murphy gets drafted. In former running back Maurice Jones-Drew’s mock draft, Murphy is projected No. 8 overall to the Atlanta Falcons; Rob Maddi from AP News also has the same projection. Conversely, Jonathan Jones from CBS Sports predicts Murphy getting drafted after Bresee, going at No. 29 overall to the New Orleans Saints.

Speaking of Bresee, his draft stock seems to have decreased as well despite his performance at the NFL Combine. The lack of film on Bresee from illness and injuries naturally has left some NFL teams with questions. Still, most analysts have Bresee going in the first round - Jones-Drew and Maddi have him at No. 30 overall, currently held by the Philadelphia Eagles, while Jones from CBS Sports projects Bresee going No. 26 overall to the Dallas Cowboys.

One odd thing about these mock drafts, though, is the lack of conversation about Trenton Simpson. Simpson had an incredible time at the NFL Combine for his 40-yard dash with 4.43 seconds and at Pro Day, he had a 40.5-inch vertical jump. This could be due to the need for linebackers in this year’s draft. However, Jeremiah believes this linebacker class is relatively weak compared to previous years.

Despite the decreasing draft capital for Murphy and Bresee, Jeremiah still expressed that this draft class shows the strength of Clemson’s program overall. Overall, the Tigers have had 268 total draft picks, which ranks No. 28 in the country. However, they have also had 37 first-round picks, No. 15 in the country. That level of success is not something that can be denied.

“They’ve got a lot of guys, especially when you just look at the receiver position and what they’ve been able to crank out there, the talent that they have there. (I) think they’ve got a good reputation,” Jeremiah said. “I think there’s impact guys at darn near every position over the last few years. You don’t play in the national championship game as many times as they have and go to the playoffs as many times as they have without doing something right not only recruiting but in developing your players. I have a lot of respect for them and their staff.”

Clemson will hope to have seven players drafted in this NFL draft, maybe even eight if kicker BT Potter were to be drafted. Further, they have the potential to see another two first-round picks in their history with Murphy and Bresee. The NFL draft starts on Thursday, April 27 (8 p.m./ABC) and will continue with the second and third rounds on Friday, April 28 (7 p.m./ABC) and conclude with the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday, April 29 (11 a.m./ABC).