2024 NFL Draft: See final mock draft projections for Clemson players

With Alabama coach Nick Saban retiring earlier this year, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney is now the leader in NFL Draft picks by an active college coach with 77.

Swinney and the Tigers will add a few more names to that list during the 2024 NFL Draft, which starts Thursday night in Detroit.

The draft starts Thursday with the first round, continues Friday with the second and third rounds and wraps Saturday with rounds four through seven.

Coming off a 9-4 season and Gator Bowl win, Clemson had six players invited to this year’s NFL Combine and is widely expected to send all six to the pros this week, with cornerback Nate Wiggins picking up the most first-round buzz.

The Tigers under Swinney have produced at least five selections in four of the past five NFL Drafts and eight of the past 10 drafts.

Here’s an updated look at some final mock draft projections for notable Clemson players, including information from seven-round mock drafts at The Athletic, CBS Sports, ESPN and NFL.com, and a number of other first-round mocks.

CB Nate Wiggins

The specs: 6-foot-1, 173 pounds

The skinny: Two-year starter and one of the fastest players in the draft class … Ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, second only to Xavier Worthy’s record-breaking 4.21 … First-team All-ACC selection in 2023 as a junior … Finished Tigers career with three interceptions, two pick sixes and 24 pass breakups … has dropped from a consensus mid- to late first-round pick due to concerns about his physicality and tackling

• The Athletic (Dane Brugler): No. 26 (first round) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• CBS Sports (Josh Edwards): No. 25 (first round) to the Green Bay Packers

• ESPN (Mel Kiper and Field Yates): No. 27 (first round) to the Arizona Cardinals

• ESPN (Jordan Reid): No. 23 (first round) to the Arizona Cardinals

• NFL.com (Chad Reuter): No. 32 (first round) to the Los Angeles Rams

• Pro Football Network (Adam Caplan): No. 15 (first round) to the Indianapolis Colts

• USA TODAY (Nate Davis): Not included in first round

DT Ruke Orhorhoro

The specs: 6-foot-4, 294 pounds

The skinny: Productive defensive tackle who played five seasons and three as a primary starter … Third-team All-ACC in 2023 with 8.0 tackles for loss and a career-high 5.0 sacks … 25.5 tackles for loss and 12.0 sacks in 53 career games … Athletic player who also had nine pass breakups, played in the jumbo package on offense and ran a 4.89-second 40-yard dash

• The Athletic (Brugler): No. 59 (second round) to the Houston Texans

• CBS Sports (Edwards): No. 55 (second round) to the Miami Dolphins

• ESPN (Kiper and Yates): No. 79 (third round) to the Atlanta Falcons

• ESPN (Reid): No. 66 (third round) to the Arizona Cardinals

• NFL.com (Reuter): No. 103 (fourth round) to the New England Patriots

RB Will Shipley

The specs: 5-foot-11, 206 pounds

The skinny: All-purpose star who scored 33 touchdowns in three seasons at Clemson … One of only three FBS players who had at least 1,200 all-purpose yards all three seasons from 2021-23 … Split carries with Phil Mafah as a junior and had a career-low 827 yards and seven TDs … Did not run at NFL Combine but had a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at team Pro Day

• The Athletic (Brugler): No. 127 (fourth round) to the Houston Texans

• CBS Sports (Edwards): No. 149 (fifth round) to the Cincinnati Bengals

• ESPN (Reid): No. 153 (fifth round) to the Jacksonville Jaguars

• NFL.com (Reuter): No. 95 (third round) to the Kansas City Chiefs

LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

The specs: 6-foot-0, 228 pounds

The skinny: Iron man who started 26 straight games at middle linebacker from 2022-23 … One of only four FBS Power Five players to record at least 10 sacks, four interceptions, three forced fumbles and multiple pick sixes in a career over the past 20 years … Butkus Award finalist as a junior in 2023 and multi-time All American … Son of former NFL linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Sr.

• The Athletic (Brugler): No. 140 (fifth round) to the Los Angeles Chargers

• CBS Sports (Edwards): No. 120 (fourth round) to the Philadelphia Eagles

• ESPN (Kiper and Yates): Not included in top three rounds

• ESPN (Reid): No. 165 (fifth round) to the Baltimore Ravens

• NFL.com (Reuter): No. 98 (third round) to the Pittsburgh Steelers

DE Xavier Thomas

The specs: 6-foot-2, 244 pounds

The skinny: Former No. 3 national recruit who was expected to be a “three and done” but ended up spending six years at Clemson … Had a team-high 21 quarterback pressures last season … Had 17.5 sacks in 61 career games … Battled depression, COVID-19 complications and various injuries during college career … Ran a 4.56-second 40 at team’s pro day

• The Athletic (Brugler): No. 161 (fifth round) to the Philadelphia Eagles

• CBS Sports (Edwards): No. 162 (fifth round) to the Arizona Cardinals

• ESPN (Reid): No. 177 (sixth round) to the Minnesota Vikings

• NFL.com (Reuter): No. 149 (fifth round) to the Cincinnati Bengals

DT Tyler Davis

The specs: 6-foot-2, 301 pounds

The skinny: Made three straight All-ACC first teams from 2021-23 and was second team All America in 2022 … Started 52 of 56 games over five seasons … Career totals of 167 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, 16.0 sacks and four fumble recoveries … Production dropped as a fifth-year senior in 2023 (3.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks) after a career year in 2022 (9.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks)

• The Athletic (Brugler): No. 200 (sixth round) to the Buffalo Bills

• CBS Sports (Edwards): No. 228 (seventh round) to the Baltimore Ravens

• ESPN (Reid): No. 148 (fifth round) to the Las Vegas Raiders

• NFL.com (Reuter): No. 146 (fifth round) to the Tennessee Titans

NFL Draft updates for other Tigers

Along with the six players listed above, Clemson had four more players participate in its team Pro Day. Veteran center Will Putnam, defensive end Justin Mascoll, cornerback Sheridan Jones and safety Jalyn Phillips are all eligible for the draft, but none were invited to the combine.

Those four players will likely have to make it to the league via undrafted free agent (UDFA) contracts. Putnam, of the four, probably has the best chance to sneak into the back few rounds of the draft.

A versatile lineman who played the second most career snaps from scrimmage in program history, Putnam played two years at guard before being named third team All ACC as Clemson’s starting center in back-to-back seasons.

How to watch the 2024 NFL Draft

• Round 1: 8 p.m. Thursday, April 25 (ESPN, ABC and NFL Network)

• Rounds 2-3: 7 p.m. Friday, April 26 (ESPN, ABC and NFL Network)

• Rounds 4-7: noon Saturday, April 27 (ESPN, ABC and NFL Network)