Three more players from the state were chosen Friday night in rounds two and three of the NFL Draft. Clemson WR Tee Higgins was the first pick of the night as the 33rd pick by Cincinnati. USC receiver Bryan Edwards was the 17th pick in round 3, the 81st pick overall, by the Raiders. and Clemson safety Tanner Muse was pick #100 of the draft, the 36th pick of the 3rd round also by the Raiders. Six players from South Carolina have been taken in the first three rounds of the draft which concludes Saturday with rounds 4-7.
Watch Tee Higgins selection by the Bengals
Notes on Higgins from Clemson Athletics Communication:
- The Bengals selected Higgins with the evening’s first pick, pushing Clemson’s nation-leading and school-record number of consecutive drafts with a wide receiver selected to five. The two-time All-ACC selection became the ninth Clemson receiver selected in the NFL Draft since 2013.
- Became the 60th player to have played for Head Coach Dabo Swinney to be drafted into the NFL, including the ninth second-round pick of Swinney’s tenure.
- Was the 10th wide receiver in Swinney’s head coaching tenure to be drafted into the NFL. He was the 14th Clemson wide receiver under Swinney’s guidance to be drafted including Swinney’s stint as wide receivers coach from 2003-08.
- Represents Clemson’s ninth draft pick at wide receiver since 2013. Clemson’s eight previous selections at wide receiver from across the 2013-19 NFL Drafts were tied for the most in the country.
- Extended Clemson’s school-record number of consecutive drafts with a wide receiver selected to five. It is presently the nation’s longest active streak (Note: Georgia can tie this streak with a selection this year).
- Gave Clemson at least one receiver selected in seven of the last eight NFL Drafts, dating to DeAndre Hopkins’ selection in 2013.
- Became the first offensive player from Clemson selected in the second round since the Seattle Seahawks selected WR Doug Thomas in 1991. Clemson’s previous 17 second-round picks had been defensive players, including the previous eight who all played under Head Coach Dabo Swinney.
Watch Bryan Edwards selection by the Raiders
More on Edwards from USC Athletics Communication:
Edwards, the school’s all-time leader in career receptions and career receiving yards, became the first Gamecock selected by the Raiders since defensive tackle Jimmy Poston was selected in the 11th round of the 1971 draft…named the Steve Wadiak MVP, the MVP of the offense (Steve Spurrier Award), the Most Explosive Player on offense, the Tenacity Award winner for offense, and one of five permanent team captains following his senior season… selected to the Coaches’ second-team All-SEC squad and was a third-team All-SEC selection by Pro Football Focus… invited to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl and to the NFL Combine… set the school records for consecutive games with a catch (48), career receptions (234) and career receiving yards (3,045)… also ranks third in school history with 22 career receiving touchdowns, one behind Sidney Rice and Alshon Jeffery… led all Power 5 schools and was third among all Division I receivers in career receptions and career receiving yards… led the SEC with 7.1 receptions per game and ranked fourth with 81.6 receiving yards per game in 10 games… had a trio of 100-yard receiving games, going for 112 vs. Charleston Southern, 113 at Missouri and 139 vs. Vanderbilt, giving him eight in his career… had a career night against the Commodores when he tied the school single-game record with 14 receptions… had a catch in every game he played in and logged 25 career games, including nine in 2019, with five or more catches
Watch Tanner Muse selection by the Raiders
Notes on Muse from Clemson Athletics Communication:
- Became the 61st player to have played for Head Coach Dabo Swinney to be drafted into the NFL, including the sixth third-round pick of Swinney’s tenure.
- Became the 15th defensive back (and sixth safety) selected in the Swinney era, dating back to the 2009 NFL Draft.
- Was the 10th Clemson player selected by the Raiders all-time, including an AFL Draft and Supplemental Draft selection. Prior to last year, the Raiders had gone nine years since their most recent selection from Clemson (Jacoby Ford in 2010). The Raiders have since drafted four Clemson players across the 2019-20 drafts.
- Gave Clemson selections by the Raiders in back-to-back drafts for the first time since 1992-93, when the then-Los Angeles Raiders selected DT Chester McGlockton and CB James Trapp in consecutive drafts.
- Made the Raiders the first team to select four Clemson players in a two-draft span since the New York Giants in 1983-84.
- Represents the third No. 100 overall selection in Clemson history, joining T Brandon Thomas (2014) and LB Dorian O’Daniel (2018).
