2015 NFL Draft Scouting Report - T.J. Clemmings, OT Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh’s T.J. Clemmings has turned into one of the best offensive tackles in college football and made a name for himself in just his second year playing the position. After being the top high school prospect in New Jersey and one of the top defensive ends despite playing only two seasons, Clemmings started his career in that spot, playing decently well as a true freshman, but the team opted to make a switch. With his size, strength and athleticism, he was moved to the offensive line where he redshirted for a season and has stepped in as the team’s right tackle, playing every game his last two years. Clemmings has been a phenom in how fast he has picked up the position and played it an extremely high level.

The Panthers offense runs a healthy mix of gap and zone concepts in a pro style offense, so Clemmings is able to really showcase a well rounded skill set that can be projected easily to the next level. Assignments range from lining up and playing power football to winning with positioning and getting to the second level to block. Clemmings is still developing and is on the ground more than NFL teams would like but he is getting better and better as he gets reps.

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Vitals & Build

Born November 18, 1991 (Will be 24 at the time of the draft)
6’6″ 315lbs (Listed)

Clemmings has an outstanding build for the offensive tackle position. Between genetics, hard work and how he arrived at the tackle position, Clemmings is incredibly strong and athletic and played a position that did not ask him to carry extra baggage initially. When he made the move to the offensive side of the ball, he was already huge between his size and strength so he did not need to add much weight to be ready to contribute.

As a result, Clemmings carries the small amount of excess baggage he has extremely well and looks like a defensive tackle playing on the offensive line. Clemmings appears to be just about the perfect body type that an NFL team would want to work with and mold. He is ready to contribute physically right out of the box and the question at this point is just how much better he can continue to get in the NFL.

Athleticism

Clemmings is remarkable athlete with his ability to explode out of the gates going forward and his speed down the field. He looks outstanding when he runs and is a natural athlete in that regard in his quickness and body control. Clemmings is flexible, bends his knees well and is able to get behind his pads effectively.

Clemmings explodes off of the ball, gets to the second level easily and then lands the block and gets a second shot on the linebacker.

When it comes to his ability to slide in pass protection, he has pretty good movement skills, but looks like someone who has room to continue developing. His lateral agility is enough to do the job for the most part, shows excellent body control and balance. Full on speed rushers may be able to present a problem if he is unable to continue improving but physical skills suggest it is a matter of time and effort to get where he needs to be.

As great as Clemmings is in terms of speed and body control, perhaps his most impressive attribute is his stamina. Clemmings has a terrific motor and plays with relentless effort from start to finish. If Clemmings ever gets tired, he certainly does not show it as he always looks fresh, is able to get to and perform his assignments without laboring. He appears to be a 60 minute player and then some, giving opponents all they can handle from start to finish.

Run Blocking

Clemmings is a powerful and athletic run blocker that is consistently able to create problems for defenders. He is still developing some of the technical aspects of his game and needs to get more experience, but is an impact player right now. Clemmings is consistently able to move opponents off of the ball and create running lanes, which enable ball carriers to make some huge plays. He locks on, extends his arms and drives his feet so push opponents down the field.

Clemmings comes downhill and simply impales the defensive lineman, creating an enormous hole while giving the linebacker no angle to fill, leaving him to chase the ball carrier for a touchdown, untouched.

Not only does Clemmings win with power, but he demonstrates he can win with position and the combination of both makes it difficult for opponents to find ways to counter him. He does a great job of constantly working his feet to maximize his position.

Clemmings fires off of the ball inside while the defender goes outside, but Clemmings is able to recover, get on the play side shoulder and just wash him down and out of the play, creating a nice running lane.

Clemmings’ athleticism allows him to perform the full gamete of blocks a team could want from him. His past as a defensive lineman really shows off when he flies off of the ball and can get down the field. Clemmings has also shown the ability to fire off of the ball effectively while staying low, giving him great leverage which only helps him with his power at the point of attack.

Clemmings does a great job helping with the combo block before coming off and giving a huge shot to the Duke linebacker because of how much momentum he is able to create. It actually turns out that he was too strong for his own good because the backer was able to regain his balance and go help on the tackle. If he can stay with the block on the linebacker, he can keep him out of the play and do a better job overall. Nevertheless, they score the touchdown.

On the screen, Clemmings gets a good shot on the play side defensive end, moves well to get his spot, sinks his hips and gets another good block on the corner, getting him out of the play entirely. The play picks up a first down.

Clemmings is never short on effort and shows a willingness to finish opponents and looks to dominate. He does a fantastic job of taking opportunities to keep wearing on opponents and reminding them they better be aware of him or he will put them on the ground.

Clemmings goes straight to the second level and decks the linebacker before going back and making sure he stays down. He inadvertently tackles his own running back in the process.

One of the areas that Clemmings needs to work to address is staying on his feet. While it is not a big problem and one that should be addressed with work and experience, he does occasionally end up falling down because he loses his balance.

Clemmings gets a good initial push but then loses his balance.

Clemmings shows an impressive amount of promise and ability already and he is only going to get better as he gets more experience. He can do a little bit of everything in the running game and he could be an impact lineman early in his NFL career with continued work to master the position.

Pass Blocking

Clemmings is a pretty good pass blocker already. This could be due in large part due to the fact that while he has been playing the game for a long time, his transition to offensive tackle is still relatively new. As a result, it seems like Clemmings has not picked up bad habits he has had to unlearn, so his muscle memory and technique have been able off with practice.

While his lateral agility is not ideal at this point, his footwork is deliberate and judicious. Clemmings mirrors effectively, redirects well while maintaining his balance and can easily redirect his power as needed. He is rarely stressed and though he could be potentially be vulnerable to elite speed rushers, it has not proven a problem whatsoever in his collegiate career.

Clemmings is great when it comes to anchoring his weight and absorbs power really well. Not only does he take on power well, he will redirect and attack opponents to take them out of the play and dominate when able. As a result, many opponents give up on it quickly and try to stress him laterally. He does a good job of keeping opponents in front of him, keeping his hands inside and making the most of his arm length.

Clemmings slides outside with ease, under control, in good position and keeps his hands inside on the opponent.

At times, Clemmings’ approach to pass protection can be somewhat mechanical but he executes it like clockwork for the most part. As he continues to get more experience, he should only get more fluid and natural. It also does not hurt that he was a defensive end and has some insight into the thought process of the opponents he is going up against. Continued effort and reps will help Clemmings improve quickly but his ability to improve his lateral agility will enable him to be take his game to another level in pass protection.

Technique

Clemmings shows a terrific punch, is able to jolt opponents and can do it without losing his balance or lunging. His hand use is improving as a run blocker as he gets more reps and continues to get comfortable at the position. There are times where he will have to win with his raw strength to overcome bad hand position but when he is right, he can be dominant.

As a pass blocker, Clemmings does a great job of keeping his elbows inside and attacking the middle of the opponent. He is able to control opponents and is not someone who should have issues holding opponents at the next level. Clemmings takes advantage of his arm length and shows good functional strength with his arms extended, making it difficult for opponents to create momentum or slip past him.

The one area that is still a work in progress when it comes to pass protection and in some of his run blocking is his angles. At times, he can take a bad angle but seems to recognize it and is athletic enough to correct the situation and fix the issue. Being better about attacking the proper shoulder or having the awareness to cut opponents off while on the move from the ball carrier should only get better with time.

Footwork

As a run blocker, Clemmings’ footwork is impressive. He is light on his feet, can get around while staying under control to execute any block teams could ask of him. Clemmings shows excellent acceleration and explodes out of his stance to attack opponents while being able to stay under control and settle to hit opponents in space. While he does not always hit opponents flush on the move, he consistently hits the target and can catch some opponents by surprise in just how fast he can be and the body control he demonstrates.

The question that will be asked in regards to Clemmings is whether he has the ability to protect the edge. He does not have elite lateral agility but he is also very deliberate in his movements. He mirrors well and redirect perfectly well, with little wasted movement, all while staying balanced and under control. His overall athletisicm suggests he should be able to continue to improve his lateral agility, but it also suggests that Clemmings really has not shown just how fast he can really move if needed. As he gets more comfortable, he should be feel more confident in moving faster while staying balanced and able to absorb power and react to speed.

System Fit

Clemmings has all the tools to be a great tackle and is scheme diverse. He has experience with both gap and zone concepts and has shown he can handle both without issue. Clemmings is also extremely capable of playing in an up tempo offense that wants to move quickly. It is not out of the question that he could slide inside to guard, but it seems unlikely. Clemmings will be on a ton of teams’ boards and can help most any team in needed of talented tackle help.

Draft Projection

T.J. Clemmings warrants a first round pick and the arrow may point up even further. His workouts should only further establish him and get more recognition of his name and he has a chance to end up going in the top 15 picks before all is said and done.

The clips were provided by DraftBreakdown.com

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2015 NFL Draft Scouting Report – T.J. Clemmings, OT Pittsburgh

By Peter Smith | Dec 16, 2014