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NFL Draft Expert Previews Clemson's 2025 Class: Insider notes on Barrett Carter, DeMonte Capehart, and more by Tony Pauline

Has Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney lost his touch? The coach known for having a team that competed for the national title annually and kept his seniors in tow seems to be out of sorts lately. Regardless, Clemson is still a very talented program, and the depth chart possesses several outstanding Day 2 prospects.

Clemson Tigers' NFL Draft 2025 Preview

#1 Barrett Carter

Swinney spun his magic and somehow got Barrett Carter to return for another season. Carter is a sensational off-ball linebacker with first-round potential.

He plays with great speed and shows tremendous ability in space. Carter is also very effective in coverage and easily stays with opponents anywhere on the field. And he puts effort into the blitz.

Barrett Carter (Source: Imagn)
Barrett Carter (Source: Imagn)

Carter measures barely six feet tall and has limited growth potential, which is bound to be a red flag for some teams. Still, he’s a three-down defender who can play in a variety of schemes.

#2 Jake Briningstool

The more I watched tight-end Jake Briningstool, the more I liked him. The tall (6-foot-5.5) target is a natural pass catcher who makes a lot of important receptions all over the field.

He’s strong-handed, tough, and very heady. Briningstool makes the deep reception and comes away with the catch in a crowd.

Jake Briningstool (Source: Imagn)
Jake Briningstool (Source: Imagn)

His long frame stands out on the field and makes him an easy target to spot for the quarterback. He’s not a dominant blocker, yet he’s not deficient in that area. Briningstool will be a good target in the middle of Round 2.

Right tackle Blake Miller is someone I liked last season and was really impressed with after watching the film. He’s a big, powerful blocker who is always looking to annihilate opponents.

Blake Miller (Source: Imagn)
Blake Miller (Source: Imagn)

He possesses a large frame that has room to get even bigger. Miller struggles in some areas of pass protection, though he’s a natural strong side tackle.

#3 Adam Randall

Adam Randall also has a nice size for his position and shows a lot of dominance. He’s a surehanded wideout who makes a lot of difficult receptions, catches the ball with his hands and wins out on contested throws.

Randall will post up over defenders, get vertical and grab the ball away from his frame. He needs a breakout season statistically, but he has a large upside.

#4 DeMonte Capehart

Scouts are all over the place on defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart, with some believing he’s a Day 2 prospect and others feeling he’s a late-rounder. I am of the latter opinion for a variety of reasons.

DeMonte Capehart (Source: Imagn)
DeMonte Capehart (Source: Imagn)

First, Capehart has been a backup to Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro for the past two years and could not break into the starting lineup. And while Capehart flashed on the field last year, he was far from consistent and has a lot of work to do on his game.

Capehart has upside and an NFL frame, but he’s a long way from being a top-100 pick at this point.

2025 NFL Draft Projections for Dabo Swinney's Clemson by Expert Tony Pauline

Early projections for the Tigers are as follows:

Clemson Pro Prospects

Grade

Rod

Pos

Full Name

Yr

#

3.92

2nd

OLB

Barrett Carter

4Sr

0

3.85

2nd

TE

Jake Briningstool

4Sr

9

3.82

2nd

T

Blake Miller

3Jr

78

3.76

3rd

WR

Adam Randall

3Jr

8

3.47

5th

DT

DeMonte Capehart

5Sr

19

3.36

6th

WR

Antonio Williams

3So

0

3.35

6th

T

Tristan Leigh

4Jr

71

3.34

6th

G

Marcus Tate

4Sr

74

3.32

6th

RB

Phil Mafah

4Sr

7

3.19

FA

DT

Payton Page

4Sr

55

3.05

FA

S

R.J. Mickens

5Sr

9

3.00

FA

G

Walker Parks

5Sr

64

2.90

FA

DT

Tre Williams

5Sr

8

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