Three Tigers ranked in NFL.com's Top 50 prospect rankings

by Tony Crumpton - Assoc. Editor - Wed Apr 01 13:08:13 GMT-04:00 2020

The 2020 NFL Draft is almost here as it is set to begin on April 23.

NFL.com's draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has released his top 50 draft-eligible prospects on Wednesday with a trio of talented Clemson players included with linebacker Isaiah Simmons, receiver Tee Higgins, and cornerback A.J. Terrell.

Simmon was ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect.

"Simmons is an extremely versatile, athletic defensive chess piece," Jeremiah said. "He is a long, rangy athlete who lined up at linebacker, over the slot and in the deep middle for Clemson, thanks to his diverse and unique skill set. Against the pass, he has terrific range and instincts from the deep middle. He has the speed and agility to match up with top-flight tight ends and backs underneath. He is an explosive blitzer off the edge and in through the middle. Simmons overpowers running backs in protection. Against the run, he takes good angles, and his speed allows him to make plays from the backside. He will struggle at times if he has to take on blocks on the edge. Overall, Simmons is built for today's NFL, and his role could change week to week, depending on the opponent."

Simmons had 107 tackles, eight sacks, three interceptions, and 16 tackles for loss last season.

Higgins was ranked as the No. 27 overall prospect (up one spot).

"Higgins is a tall, long, and rangy wideout with elite high-point skills. He uses a quick foot fire to defeat press coverage," Jeremiah said. "He is a smooth, long-striding route runner. He is at his best when on the move: slants, posts, and go routes. He lacks snap at the top of his route when working back downhill. He has incredible ball skills down the field. He can elevate and also adjust to the back-shoulder ball. After the catch, he is very smooth and slippery. Overall, Higgins isn't going to do a lot of the dirty work in the middle of the field, but he's very effective on the outside and provides big-play ability."

In 2019, Higgins had 59 receptions for 1,167 yards (19.8 YPC) and 13 touchdowns.

Terrell was ranked only four spots lower at No. 31 overall (up one spot).

"Terrell is a tall, slender cornerback prospect with a strong resume in a variety of coverages and techniques," Jeremiah said. "In press coverage, he uses an effective one-hand jam before turning and opening up. He can carry vertical routes with his speed, but he is a little bit sticky when he's forced to gear down and come back downhill. In off coverage, he has a quick pedal, but there is a brief pause in his plant/drive. He has very good ball awareness down the field. He is a reliable tackler and an outstanding blitzer from the boundary corner spot. He had a rough outing against LSU in the national title game but was otherwise very steady last season. Overall, Terrell has some tightness, but he's a very solid player who should emerge as a quality No. 2 cornerback for his drafting team."

In 2019, Terrell had 39 tackles, seven pass breakups, and two interceptions.