From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker.
No. 3 T.J. Parker/EDGE Clemson – 6-3, 265 pounds (Junior)
MEASUREMENTS
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
T.J. Parker 6-3/265 N/A N/A N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A N/A N/A
THE GOOD
– Hands often in the right spot at first contact; helps him get a jump on linemen and deal with lack of explosiveness
– Strength at point of contact is evident
– Six forced fumbles in 2024, has a knack for creating turnovers
– Looks comfortable dropping into coverage, both man and zone
– Smart in run defense, able to extend arms and diagnose what’s happening behind the line of scrimmage
– Great size for his position, long arms
– Understands how to keep linemen from getting hands on his chest
– Never stops fighting with his hands
– Impressive side-to-side movement considering his size
– Sets the edge consistently against the run
– Consistent, high motor
THE BAD
– When initial hand placement fails, Parker struggles with counter moves
– Lacks ideal bend once getting around the corner
– Slight drop in production across the board in 2025 compared to terrific 2024 season
– Not explosive off the line of scrimmage
– Occasionally plays with a high-pad level, but not a huge concern
– Would like to see him wrap up a little more consistently in the open field
– Not quick enough to chase plays across the field
STATS
– Career: 126 tackles, 41.5 TFL, 21.5 sacks, four passes defended, six fumble recoveries, six forced fumbles
– 2023: 32 tackles, 12.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks, two passes defended, one fumble recovery
– 2024: 57 tackles, 19.5 TFL, 11 sacks, one pass defended, two fumble recoveries, six forced fumbles
– 2025: 37 tackles, 9.5 TFL, five sacks, one pass defended, three fumble recoveries
– 2024 season saw him first in ACC in forced fumbles (6), third in sacks (11) and fifth in entire NCAA in TFL (19.5)
– 39 games through three seasons, all with Clemson
INJURY HISTORY
– 2023: Had knee surgery after 2023 season, coaches noted him coming into 2024 season out of shape, but Parker managed to get ready in time and never missed a game
BACKGROUND
– DOB: September 19th, 2004
– Hometown: Phenix City, AL
– Attended Central High School In Phenix City, AL
– Four-star recruit out of high school
– Originally recruited to Penn State before switching to Clemson
– Finished degree in Sports Communication in December of 2025
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Throughout his collegiate career, Parker was excellent at defending the run. He had nearly 20 tackles for a loss in 2024, proving how dominant he can be in that aspect of the game. He reads blocks well, extends on defenders, and finds the ball carrier. Then he shows impressive handwork to shed blocks and reach the runner.
Here, Parker is rushing from the right edge of the frame. He recognizes the run coming inside, pivots nicely, and swats the tackle’s hands out of the way. Parker then gets a free rush straight at the ball carrier and makes a nice tackle.
Unfortunately, when Parker doesn’t win initially, he struggles to find much of a counter. He wins often with a strong initial move, or he simply outmuscles his opponents. But when he doesn’t, we get reps like this one.
Here, Parker is rushing from the left side of the screen. He extends his arm well to hold the defender off him, but isn’t able to get around the corner. Once the tackle regains his anchor, he’s able to essentially control Parker for the rest of the play.
The counter moves might not be there, but his initial hand placement is strong. When he lands them in the right spot at initial contact, Parker has enough strength to get by linemen in a quick fashion.
Coming off the left edge here, Parker is strong and precise with his hands. He doesn’t get the sack, but does a good job to force the tackle out of the way and help crash the pocket.
Parker’s not the most explosive player off the line of scrimmage. But once again, here we see him manage to get into the backfield quickly despite that, with a terrific first move on the right tackle.
Rushing off the right side of the frame, Parker takes a great angle and immediately gets his hands under and around the offensive tackle. If he had a little more explosiveness, he might get the sack, but he does well to get in the backfield in quick fashion here.
Another drawback with Parker’s game is that he doesn’t have the ideal bend for the position. He had 21.5 career sacks, but he may have ended his time at Clemson with even more, if not for his lack of bend, which somewhat limited him.
Parker is rushing off the left edge here. He does everything right to get around the edge of the tackle, but once he gets there, he just doesn’t have the bend necessary to get to the quarterback.
Most know Parker for his run defense and ability to rush the passer. And any team that drafts him will obviously have those two in mind. But I do want to note another thing that impresses me about Parker: his ability to defend the pass.
The ball doesn’t come his way, but I do like the effort here. Parker’s on the edge on the top of the screen, and he drops into man coverage against the running back. That’s not an easy assignment for any edge rusher. But he shows good technique here and covers the back better than most edge rushers or even linebackers would. You don’t have to be scared about dropping Parker into coverage at the NFL level, which will keep him on the field more often.
CONCLUSION
T.J. Parker had a terrific 2024 season, one that put him on the map for good reason. Thus, teams paid him much more attention in 2025, and his numbers did drop a bit. But that shouldn’t concern NFL teams too much. Parker will enter the NFL as a strong run defender. He understands that aspect of the game well, has arms long enough to extend on linemen, and sheds blocks consistently. That, plus his ability to drop into coverage, will get him playing time early in his career.
There’s a lot to like about Parker as a pass rusher, but he still has some work to do there. He has a good first move and is obviously strong, but he’ll need to do more than that to win against NFL tackles. With a lack of explosiveness and bend, Parker needs to develop more counter moves to really collapse the pocket at the next level.
Parker reminds me of Mykel Williams, an edge rusher drafted in the first round by San Francisco in 2025. Both struggled to get off the ball quickly, and each needed an expanded bag of pass-rush moves. But like Williams, I love Parker’s brute strength, scheme versatility, and lateral agility.
NFL Projection: Early Day 2
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 8.1 (Long-Time Starter)
Grade Range: 7.7-8.6
Games Watched: at Boston College (2025), vs LSU (2025), at Louisville (2025)
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