Three former Clemson Tigers made CBS Sports’ annual rankings of the top 100 NFL players headed into the 2024 season.
Leading the way was New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, ranked by veteran NFL analyst Pete Prisco as the No. 19 overall player in the league.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who will begin his fourth season with the club, ranked second highest among former Tiger athletes.
Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, set to begin his first season with the Las Vegas Raiders after departing Miami in free agency, also made the list.
Dexter Lawrence had a monster season for the Giants in 2023, recording 53 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two pass deflections. He is the highest ranked defensive tackle on Prisco’s top 100 list.
“He is a massive man in the middle of the New York defense who makes it tough to run inside. But he is also a power pass rusher inside who can really push the pocket, which makes him far more than just a one-dimensional run stuffer,” Prisco wrote of Lawrence, who was ranked as the No. 34 best player by Prisco heading into 2023.
Next on Prisco’s list was Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars’ franchise quarterback recently signed a massive contract extension for five years, reportedly at $275 million.
But Trevor Lawrence ranks far behind Dexter Lawrence on Prisco’s list after suffering through injuries a season ago. Lawrence missed his first NFL start due to a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the Jaguars’ Week 17 game against the Carolina Panthers last year.
Lawrence suffered one of the biggest drops in Prisco’s annual rankings, going from No. 23 this time last year to No. 62 this offseason. Prisco wrote that he expected great things from the Jaguars’ quarterback in a bounce-back 2024 season, however.
“His 2023 season was a disappointment for a lot of reasons, including injury. He threw 21 touchdown passes and 14 picks as he pressed at times. I think he bounces back — with a hefty new contract — and has an MVP-type of season that will vault him up this list,” Prisco said of Lawrence.
The last Clemson player to appear in Prisco’s top 100 shouldn’t come as a surprise. Wilkins had an impressive 2023 season with the Miami Dolphins that included 65 tackles (38 solo), 10 tackles for loss, nine sacks, two pass deflections and a forced fumble.
Wilkins parlayed that into a four-year, $110 million contract with the Raiders. He ranks No. 78 on Prisco’s list of top 100 players.
“He is a disruptive inside player who signed with the Raiders after five impressive seasons with the Dolphins. He has the ability to pressure inside, while also being good against the run,” Prisco wrote of Wilkins.
Other notable rankings on Prisco’s top 100 list include reigning Super Bowl champion quarterback Patrick Maholmes at No. 1. Buffalo’s Josh Allen was the second highest ranked quarterback at No. 6 overall.
At the defensive tackle position, Prisco ranked the New York Jets’ Quinnen Williams as the second best tackle behind Dexter Lawrence. Williams ranks 10 spots behind Lawrence at No. 29.
Three former Clemson players made Prisco’s list of honorable mentions outside the top 100. In no particular order, those players were wide receivers Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals) and DeAndre Hopkins (Tennessee Titans), and Jaguars running back Travis Etienne.
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