Could Derion Kendrick still be a first round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft?

Derion Kendrick’s impressive 2020 season

As he entered the 2020 season, Kendrick knew that he had to step up and become a leader for the Tigers. Clemson had aspirations to go a step further and win it all and Kendrick would be a big part of that.

In terms of his performances, Venables and head coach Dabo Swinney couldn’t have asked for much more in a shortened season. Kendrick was named First-team All-ACC after registering 20 tackles, six pass breakups, an interception, a sack, a fumble recovery, and a touchdown. He struggled at times in the playoffs, particularly when matched up with Ohio State’s Chris Olave, but it was another strong season to add to his impressive resume.

After the season ended, there was heavy speculation that Kendrick could declare for the 2021 NFL Draft. From a size and athleticism perspective, he ticks a lot of the boxes that teams are looking for. ESPN’s Todd McShay even sent him to the Kansas City Chiefs an early first-round mock draft. Ultimately, he made the decision to play his senior season.

Off-field turbulence followed the star cornerback as a Junior

The easy assumption to make was that Derion Kendrick would be back at Clemson in search of a second championship ring. That wasn’t to be, though. While Kendrick impressed on the field, a deeper look showed that there were cracks in the relationship.

He missed the season opener against Wake Forest for undisclosed reasons and was held out of the first play the following week against The Citadel. Swinney was quick to dismiss concerns but admitted that he was looking for more accountability from his star cornerback. While there were undoubtedly some impressive performances before the end of the year, Kendrick continued to find himself on the wrong side of the coaching staff. He missed two further games, against Syracuse and Pitt, before returning for the team’s final three games.

Perhaps surprisingly, Kendrick and Clemson parted ways in February. Speculation built that he could enter the 2021 NFL Supplemental Draft but he remained clear that he wanted to take advantage of his last year of college eligibility. He entered the transfer portal and, after months of waiting, announced that he would be playing his senior season for the Georgia Bulldogs.