Three former Tigers ranked in PFF’s top 25 players under 25 entering the 2022 NFL season
Year after year, Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program have brought in a variety of recruits, helping these players develop into NFL ready players.
Producing NFL talent consistently for over a decade, a long list of former Tigers have produced at the next level. Over the past few seasons, Clemson has seen some of the best talent they’ve developed depart for the NFL, with multiple players looking like they have very bright futures.
According to PFF, there are three former tigers who rank in their top 25 players under 25 entering the 2022 NFL season.
Here are the three Clemson alumni PFF considers the best of the best under the age of 25.
9. CB A.J. TERRELL, ATLANTA FALCONS
Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell (24) Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
What PFF had to say:
Terrell earned the highest coverage grade of any cornerback in the NFL last season (90.1). He allowed just 29 catches for 200 yards all year and surrendered a league-low 47.5 passer rating into his coverage. His massive leap in production in just his second NFL season at such a difficult position moves him into the top 10 of this list.
Coming in at No.9, Terrell had one of the most impressive breakout seasons for a cornerback we’ve seen to date. No matter who he was lining up against last season, it felt like Terrell had the upper hand. The lack of success the Falcons had last season to go along with the short-term direction they are heading seems to have made people underrate the young star. Another similar season out of him next year would change that.
19. WR TEE HIGGINS, CINCINNATI BENGALS
Feb 13, 2022; Inglewood, CA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (85) celebrates a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
What PFF had to say:
Higgins recorded 908 receiving yards as a rookie, then followed it up this past year with 1,091 yards despite the arrival of Ja’Marr Chase. His PFF grade took a nice jump from 75.9 as a rookie to 84.5 this past season. He also finished strong with a ton of momentum going into 2022, as he recorded 100 receiving yards in four of his final six regular-season games and had back-to-back 100-yard games in the AFC Championship and Super Bowl. As the Bengals continue to emphasize their passing attack through quarterback Joe Burrow, expect Higgins to remain a strong WR2 opposite Chase. He’d likely be a WR1 on many other teams.
To put it simply, Tee Higgins is a monster. The No.19 ranked player showed out for his team last season when it mattered most, and this is just the beginning for him and the AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals. While they mention Higgins as the WR2 between him and young superstar Ja’Marr Chase, I like to see the duo as more of a 1A, 1B receiving duo. Joe Burrow and Higgins should continue building chemistry and tearing defenses up for the foreseeable future.
21. QB TREVOR LAWRENCE, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Trevor Lawrence (16) Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
What PFF had to say:
Lawrence’s rookie season wasn’t the triumphant year many were hoping for from the No. 1 overall pick, with him tallying 3,600 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. But let’s be real, there’s no chance it was going to be under Urban Meyer and the circus that was the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. Among all the chaos, Lawrence still showed flashes of that special quarterback ability while navigating the typical NFL learning curve. With Doug Pederson now as his head coach, we’re expecting a huge leap from Lawrence in Year 2.
PFF’s No.21 ranked under 25, Trevor Lawrence didn’t have a great season, but would you expect another rookie in his situation to do so? While I wasn’t a big fan of the free agency and 2022 NFL draft the Jaguars had, they did get better around Lawrence. Of all the coaches I believe to be good at what they do, Doug Pederson seems to get an unnecessary amount of hate. I’m excited to see what the pairing of Lawrence and Pederson can do, as I, too, expect a big leap in Lawrence’s game next season.
