CBS Sports’ Fornelli Puts Four Clemson Tigers in First Round of 2026 NFL Mock Draft, Quietly Revising “Dead” Program Claim

Less than a month after labeling Clemson football “dead” and openly questioning the roster’s talent level, CBS Sports analyst Tom Fornelli released his updated 2026 NFL mock draft—one that now features four Tigers in the opening round. The projection directly challenges the offseason narrative that Clemson’s pipeline to the pros has dried up, instead showcasing a quartet of prospects who could hear their names called inside the first 32 selections.

Blake Miller, the rock-steady offensive tackle, headlines the group at No. 17 to the Detroit Lions. With more than 3,600 career snaps and a résumé built on reliable pass protection, Miller is viewed as a high-floor starter who can stabilize a Detroit line that craves immediate help more than upside swings. Fornelli notes the Lions’ offseason turmoil makes tackle the most logical target, and Miller’s athleticism plus prototypical frame fit the timeline of a team ready to contend.

Peter Woods comes off the board eight picks later, landing with the Chicago Bears at No. 25. The 298-pound interior defender pairs explosive lower-body power with one of the class’s top production profiles, addressing a Bears run defense that finished among the league’s leakiest units. Concerns over arm length remain, but Woods’ relentless quickness and ability to collapse the pocket give Chicago a versatile building block up front.

Cornerback Avieon Terrell’s slide to the Miami Dolphins at No. 30 would inject much-needed reliability into a secondary ravaged by injuries and inconsistency. At 5-foot-11, Terrell lacks elite size yet compensates with polished technique, positional versatility, and a knack for staying in phase at the catch point. Fornelli calls him one of his favorite players in the class and believes the pick fills a glaring roster hole without jeopardizing Miami’s presumed chase for a premium quarterback in 2027.

Finally, edge defender T.J. Parker wraps up the Tigers’ first-round haul at No. 31 to the New England Patriots. Once viewed as a potential top-five lock after a dominant 2024 campaign, Parker’s quieter 2025 season has cooled buzz yet failed to erase the traits that made him special: ideal 6-4, 263-pound size, strong edge-setting ability, and disciplined hand usage. In a Vrabel-led culture that prizes physicality, Parker’s Clemson-honed fundamentals could rekindle early-career promise.

Fornelli’s revised outlook underscores a simple reality: while Clemson may lack a marquee top-ten talent this cycle, the program continues to churn out NFL-ready starters across multiple positions. The mock draft won’t quiet every critic, but it should mute suggestions that the Tigers’ talent well has run dry.