Height: 6035
Weight: 263
Year: Junior
Pro Comparison: Bradley Chubb

2026 NFL Combine Results

T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson

• Hand Size: 9 1/2″
• Arm Length: 33 1/8″
• 40-Yard Dash: 4.68
• Vertical Leap: 34″
• Broad Jump: 120″
• 20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
• 3-Cone: N/A

Pros of T.J. Parker

• Very good power: Whether it’s against the run or the pass, Parker’s a stout force with his overall power profile. As a pass rusher, he can collapse the pocket well, and has the tools to be a good power-to-speed rusher. His long arm knocks back blockers and he sequences his game around that long arm well. In run defense, he is simply impossible to move at the point of attack.
• Very good run defense: Outside of Rueben Bain, I don’t think there is a better run-defending defensive end that I have scouted so far in this class. Parker is a violent shedder at the point of attack, stacking and shedding blocks with reps that make you feel bad for his opponent. As stated above, he is nearly impossible to move when setting an edge, and his natural leverage allows him to stay level with good pad level. Teams quickly found out they could not block him with a tight end, and he is a reliable tackler.
• Very good motor: Parker will win several reps off of hustle alone. He constantly chases the ball carrier on the backside of plays, and he fights through the whistle to try and harass opposing quarterbacks. Even when he loses the rep initially, Parker will do whatever he can to try and continue his rush.
• Good coverage: Parker wasn’t dropped often, but he showed good awareness in underneath zones on the sim pressures Clemson would run. While he doesn’t offer a ton of upside here simply due to his athleticism, he was comfortable enough that a team should feel comfortable with what he can do here.

Cons of T.J. Parker

• Average athleticism: Unfortunately for Parker, he’s just not particularly traits-y as a player. What you see is what you get with him. He’s not explosive enough to consistently threaten rushers with speed, and he doesn’t possess enough bend to corner and flatten to the quarterback at the NFL level. He’s still capable of being a productive NFL rusher, but I don’t see a ton of upside here with his profile.
• Average pass rush technique: Parker’s game is predicated on power, and it worked at the collegiate level. In the NFL, however, he’ll have to vastly expand his technique and moves to threaten tackles. His timing with his hands will have to improve on some of his finesse moves, and he simply has to show a consistent counter for when NFL tackles sit down to absorb his power rushes.

Background

A former four star recruit, Parker flipped to the Clemson Tigers from the Penn State Nittany Lions and hit the ground running with the Tigers. Despite sitting behind Xavier Thomas and Justin Mascoll, Parker was named a Consensus Freshman-All American as a true freshman. Even with a knee surgery messing up the offseason following his stellar freshman season, Parker started every game in 2024 and was named Second-Team All-ACC.

He followed up that performance with another strong 2025 season, recording five sacks, but his buzz disappeared as the Tigers’ season dismantled. Despite that, he closed his collegiate career tenth all-time at Clemson in career sacks.

Player Evaluation

T.J. Parker is a classic “high floor, low ceiling” prospect. What you see is what you get. His limitations are simply athletic, which takes some of the shine off of his NFL Draft process. However, what you get is pretty dang good. He is a strong, stout rusher, who will be a consistent starter very early on in his career who can play on all three downs (a rarity in this draft class). His power and hustle are foundationally strong traits that give him a nice floor for production at the next level.

There’s a correlation with edge rushers with their athleticism and need for a pass rush “bag”. As their athleticism lessens, their need for a “bag” of diverse moves increases, and vice versa. The truly dominant athletes use a handful of moves and win mainly off of being a better athlete than the guy across from them. In the case of Parker, however, he isn’t particularly athletic, and will need to expand his moves to win more consistently at the NFL level. Fortunately, he is young (won’t turn 21 until September of his rookie season) and his coaches have raved about his work ethic.

I have no doubt that Parker will be a productive pro, given what he brings to the table right out the gate as a prospect. His limited upside puts a clamp on his draft stock, but he is a rock solid presence who can become a pretty productive rusher as his technique increases down the line. He would be best suited as a #2 rusher for an NFL team.

A to Z Rankings

A to Z Big Board Ranking: #37 overall, EDGE #6

A to Z Draft Grade: 8.06

Draft projection: Late First Round

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