It’s a fairly safe bet that Clemson football will have as many as three players selected in the first few rounds of this week’s 2024 NFL Draft.
But it will be their relatively underrated teammates picked later in the draft – specifically the fifth round and beyond – who have the potential to qualify as bona fide draft “steals.”
Clemson has had no shortage of such pilfered players in 15 drafts under Coach Dabo Swinney, and this year’s group includes several candidates, including defensive tackle Tyler Davis, defensive end Xavier Thomas and running back Will Shipley – all of whom are projected to be picked in the fifth round or later.
That should prove no barrier to long-term success, however. Clemson has produced plenty of late-round selections who enjoyed extensive NFL careers or are still in the league. Here are Clemson’s Top 5 NFL Draft steals under Swinney:
5. Byron Maxwell, cornerback, 2011
Maxwell was picked by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round, 173rd overall, and quickly developed a reputation as one of the hardest-hitting defensive backs in the NFL. His career spanned seven seasons with the Seahawks, Eagles and Dolphins, but his best days came with Seattle.
A key part of the Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” secondary, Maxwell started in Super Bowl XLVIII and had four tackles and forced a fumble in a 43-8 romp against the Broncos. He wound up starting 52 of 83 career games and had 11 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles in his career.
NFL career: 7 seasons, 83 games
4. Kavell Conner, linebacker, 2010
Conner was never an All-ACC selection, but he was standout for the Tigers, leading the team in tackles in both 2008 and 2009. He was among the last players selected in the 2010 draft, going to the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round, 244th overall.
Conner wasted little time in proving his mettle, making 57 tackles in 12 games and earning All-Rookie honors. He went on to play four seasons with the Colts before two seasons with the Chargers and finishing his NFL career with 328 tackles, including 17 tackles for loss.
He returned to Clemson as an unpaid coaching intern in 2021 and served in defensive player development in 2022. Conner is now defensive coordinator at West Florida.
NFL career: 6 seasons, 78 games
3. D.J. Reader, defensive tackle, 2016
Reader fell to the Houston Texans, who plucked him in the fifth round, 166th overall. Recently signed by the Detroit Lions, Reader spent his first eight NFL seasons split between the Texans and Bengals and emerged as a key cog for both franchises.
Reader has started in 96 of his 105 career games in the NFL and accumulated 277 tackles.
NFL career: 8 seasons, 105 games
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2. Jayron Kearse, safety, 2016
Despite being a second-team All-American at Clemson and a nephew of former NFL standout Jevon Kearse and cousin of former first-round draft pick Phillip Buchanon, Kearse plummeted during the 2016 draft, based primarily on a 4.62 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
He eventually was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round, 244th overall – only nine picks earlier than Mr. Irrelevant, the final pick of the draft.
Kearse vowed to make the teams that passed on him pay for the slight and he has done just that, enjoying a lengthy professional career. He started 15 games for the Cowboys in 2021 and posted a career-high 101 tackles.
NFL career: 8 seasons, 113 games
1. Grady Jarrett, defensive tackle, 2015
Too short, overlooked and underrated, Jarrett was drafted in the fifth round, 137th overall, by the Atlanta Falcons, and has been paying dividends ever since.
Jarrett played in 15 games as a rookie, then 14 in his second season, which he capped by sacking Tom Brady a record-tying three times in Super Bowl LI. A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Jarrett had the Falcons’ franchise tag placed on him in 2019 and is among the highest-paid defensive players in the league.
NFL career: 9 seasons, 135 games
Scott Keepfer covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at skeepfer@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ScottKeepfer
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: These 5 players are Clemson football's top 'steals' in the NFL Draft
