NFL Draft: Clemson WR Joseph Ngata Going in First Round isn't Preposterous
NFL mock drafts 11 months out don't typically create much buzz, but when an unlikely player pops up on one, it's too hard to ignore.
CBS Sports released a mock this week that has a Clemson Tigers receiver going in the first round, and it's not Justyn Ross.
It's actually Joseph Ngata, a junior who from Stockton, Calif., who is projected to go 12th overall to the Atlanta Falcons.
On the surface, it's unusual to see a player who recorded just seven receptions the previous season be linked to the first round. Ngata has just 24 catches for 323 yards and three touchdowns in 22 career games, but he spent much of last season injured and watching from the sideline.
Here's what CBS Sports had to say about their ranking of Ngata:
The ceiling for Joseph Ngata is actually higher than it appears. He was limited last season, but the flashes on film suggest that he is going to break out with a larger target share.
While it might sound crazy that a player who's still a project and hasn't started more than three games could be a first-round selection, it's not as wild as one might think for several reasons.
For starters, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney loves this young man's game and has been telling the media since the middle of last season that Ngata is going to be a star.
"He's going to make a million catches if he's healthy," Swinney said after the spring game. "That's the only thing that has held him back. Last year, he tried to play not anywhere near 100 percent and still did some things."
What he does in 2021 is still presumptive for a player who came to Clemson as a four-star prospect filled with high expectations. A breakout season isn't a ridiculous prediction. Ngata had a strong spring game and showed a solid rapport with new QB D.J. Uiagalelei, who is going to be airing it out a ton this fall.
Should Ngata fall on the side of many of those targets, big numbers should follow. But that's not the only reason a quick ascension is in order. It doesn't hurt that he plays at a school known for putting receivers like Mike Williams, Sammy Watkins, Hunter Renfrow and Tee Higgins in the league.
There's also a shift in dynamics of the NFL draft that makes Ngata an intriguing pro prospect. Pro football has gone the way of the NBA in terms of drafting more and more on potential than just college production.
At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Ngata has the size to make NFL teams salivate, and he has the pedigree to back it up. If he puts up numbers in 2021, it could very well be his final season of a short Clemson career.
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