ACC Championship: 5 2020 NFL Draft prospects to watch in Clemson v Virginia

As the old saying goes, “games are won in the trenches.” Excelling in the trenches is the exact reason why Clemson has been so successful in recent years. This year there may be no more important player along the offensive line than Tremayne Anchrum. He has been crucial as the blindside protector to quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

The NFL projection for Anchrum is a little tricky when discussing the 2020 NFL Draft. He is a good tackle in the college game, but his size (6’2″, 315 pounds) likely causes him to move inside to guard at the next level. He displays good mobility to access the second level in the run game and get good run fits against linebackers. His athletic ability also helps him mirror pass rushers with excellent effectiveness. He has solid strength to anchor at the point of attack but does need to improve his footwork and technique in pass sets.

Anchrum will be key to the Clemson’s offensive line’s ability to slow down the excellent outside linebacker pass rushers employed by Virginia. Jordan Mack, Noah Taylor, and Zane Zandier have caused havoc off the edge all season and recorded a combined 19 sacks from their linebacker positions. Anchrum will have to use all of his athleticism to stay in front of this group of athletic pass rushers and keep them off Lawrence.

If Anchrum and the offensive line can accomplish that feat, the talented Tiger offense should have no problem putting up their normal 45 points per game.