It’s been an enduring bit.
Through the Carolina Panthers’ first 31 NFL offseasons, the Charlotte-based club has never selected a Clemson Tigers prospect in the NFL Draft. While the team has chosen talent from most of the major universities in the Carolinas over the years, Clemson is still seeking its first pick from the “Two States, One Team” franchise.
But with another talented group of Clemson prospects competing in this week’s NFL Scouting Combine, the possibility of ending the longstanding Carolina draft drought could be within reach.
“There’s nine of us here, and I can name you about three to four others that should probably be here, and so, that’s 12, 13 players,” defensive tackle Peter Woods said Wednesday. “And I strongly believe that if you want the best player on your team, for your locker room, for the field, for the culture — just to (raise) the level of competition — it’s a Clemson Tiger.”
The notable nine Tigers in Indiapolis
Woods, cornerback Avieon Terrell, offensive tackle Blake Miller and outside linebacker T.J. Parker headline the group of nine in Indianapolis. Woods, Miller and Parker, in particular, fit notable needs for the Panthers, while Terrell has an impressive pedigree with NFL ties — his brother, A.J., is a starting cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons.
Terrell and Woods are projected by most analysts to be potential first-round picks. Miller and Parker play premium positions that should place them within the top 60 (or so) picks as well.
The Clemson prospect group also features potential depth options like quarterback Cade Klubnik, defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart, linebacker Wade Woodaz, running back Adam Randall and wide receiver Antonio Williams.
Capehart, who took part in the Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas last month, believes he could be a nice fit for Carolina. He is projected by NFL.com as a likely Day 3 pick.
“I think I just play with a tenacity that I can see myself bringing to Carolina,” Capehart said. “I don’t know, man, I just feel like I’ve got the swagger and the tenacity and violence to add to what they’re already building.”
Panthers’ North and South Carolina NFL draft picks
The Panthers have selected seven players from the University of South Carolina, dating back to the 2004 draft. In recent years, the franchise has spent first-round picks on former Gamecocks, cornerback Jaycee Horn and wide receiver Xavier Legette.
The squad also double-dipped on N.C. State linemen, Ickey Ekwonu and Chandler Zavala, during the Scott Fitterer era.
The team famously selected future Hall of Famer and former North Carolina Tar Heels pass rusher Julius Peppers in 2002. And the club has also previously taken Armanti Edwards from Appalachian State and Josh Norman from Coastal Carolina.
But Clemson, despite being one of the best football schools in the country over the past two decades, has been denied. And the program isn’t technically alone, as the Panthers haven’t selected prospects from Duke or Wake Forest, either.
The Tigers, though, are well-represented at the premier scouting event during the draft process. And unlike Wake Forest and Duke, who have a combined six prospects in Indianapolis, it appears that at least half of the school’s talent pool will come off the board in the first three rounds.
Still, the question remains: Will Carolina finally turn in the card that ends a more than three-decades-long drought?
That answer will come in April.