Former Clemson Wideout Justyn Ross Not Selected In NFL Draft

Former Clemson Tiger Justyn Ross never heard his name called in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Jason Priester All Clemson

The NFL Draft has come and gone with former Clemson wideout Justyn Ross never hearing his name called.

Only Andrew Booth Jr. and Baylon Spector heard their names called. The last time Clemson had just two players selected in the draft was in 2008, when Tommy Bowden was the head coach in the 2008 NFL Draft. It's a record low for the Dabo Swinney era, as the previous low was three in 2018.

The biggest surprise, though, was Ross not being drafted. The former 5-star prospect out of Alabama was all but considered a first-round lock after bursting onto the scene as a freshman during the Tigers' run to the national title in 2018 but had medical issues entering the NFL draft. 

He caught 46 passes for a team-high 1,000 yards, with nine touchdowns. His 21.7-yard average per catch was a single-season school record among players with at least 20 receptions, and he was named a first-team freshman All-American by 247 Sports.

The dynamic wideout had two memorable performances in the 2018 College Football Playoff wins over Notre Dame and Alabama, with Ross registering 12 catches for 301 yards and three touchdowns. The freshman torched the Crimson Tide in the national title game, grabbing 6 catches for 153 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown.

JUSTYN ROSS IS A GROWN MAN pic.twitter.com/658c9uspno

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 8, 2019

In 2019, Ross hauled in a team-high 66 catches for 865 yards and nine touchdowns, earning All-ACC honorable mention honors. However, his luck was about to take a downward turn.

During spring practice ahead of his junior season in 2020, it was discovered that Ross had a congenital condition in his spine that would require surgery to repair. Not only was he going to miss his entire junior season, but there were also questions regarding whether he would ever play again.

Ross spent the next calendar year working his way back and returned for Clemson's season-opener against Georgia last season. Although, despite leading the team in catches (46) and receiving yards (514), Ross never looked like quite the same player. It was later revealed that he played the entire season with a foot injury before it finally forced him to miss the final three games.

He would come back to work out at Clemson's Pro Day in March, but he ran a 4.68 40-yard dash and wasn't able to participate in all of the drills. His vertical was an unimpressive 31.5 inches. 

Combine those measurables with the questions surrounding his durability due to the neck surgery, and it's possible that teams just didn't think it was worth the risk. Maybe there is a team out there willing to take a shot on the talented receiver as an undrafted free agent, maybe not, but this certainly isn't how Ross' Clemson career was expected to end.

NFL Draft Bible Analysis

A tall and long wide receiver with below-average speed and good route running abilities. Ross can separate on timing routes and use his length to high point the football. He lacks explosiveness and fails to play to his size consistently. A great blocker, he projects as a starting outside receiver or big slot early on in his career. In order to be more than a tertiary option, Ross has to win in the air consistently. Injury concerns and just average special teams ability due to the lack of speed hurt his valuation. 

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