NFL

2015 NFL Draft Combine Profile: Pittsburgh Offensive Tackle T.J. Clemmings

Fresh Videos

By @bradberreman24

T.J. Clemmings, 2015 NFL Draft, NFL Draft

Charles LeClaire -USA TODAY Sports

This year’s group of NFL Draft prospects is not considered flush with elite offensive tackles, but the premium placed on protecting quarterbacks still has at least a handful being regarded as first-round picks in mock drafts.

One of the more intriguing tackle prospects this year is T.J. Clemmings out of Pittsburgh, who made the transition to right tackle over his final two seasons after starting his college career on defense. Even after what was widely considered a poor week at last month’s Senior Bowl, Clemmings is still considered a rising prospect.

Clemmings needs to do well during the NFL Combine next week to cement himself as a first-round pick and keep himself among the top two or three offensive tackle prospects. He is on my personal list of prospects with the most to gain during the event, and CBS Sports.com’s Dane Brugler included Clemmings on his own similar list .

Clemmings has good size (6’4″, 307 lbs. at the Senior Bowl), with long arms (34-7/8″) and big hands (10-3/8″). Add in athleticism and overall movement skills that has a lot of draft analysts drooling over him right now, and Clemmings could make a strong case to be the first offensive tackle drafted if he shows improved technique during drills in Indianapolis.

There are questions about Clemmings’ ability step right in at left tackle in the NFL, and rightfully so since he’s been an offensive lineman for just two full seasons and he only played right tackle. But I can see him being an immediate starter at right tackle, and eventually moving to the left side if he continues to develop at the next level.

From a purely physical standpoint, I can see Michael Oher (6’4″, 315 lbs.) as a viable comparison for Clemmings. That should obviously scare any teams that may have interest in him, with how badly the subject of “The Blind Side” has performed for most of his career. But I think Clemmings will do well enough at the combine to be a top-15 overall pick, and he has upside that Oher never did.

Brad Berreman is a Columnist/Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.

Share Tweet
Trending Now on