Dabo Swinney Comments On Trenton Simpson Being Third Round Pick By Ravens

Linebacker Trenton Simpson became Clemson’s third pick of the 2023 NFL Draft upon being selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round (No. 86 overall) on Friday. Including the selections of Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee in the first round, Clemson produced three Top 100 selections in a draft for the sixth time in the last eight years.

HEAD COACH DABO SWINNEY

“Trenton Simpson is the freak of the draft, I mean, he’s just the guy that everybody’s probably trying to figure out like, ‘Where do you play him? What is he?’ But I know this: The guy is 230-something pounds and runs a 4.4 and he’s strong as an ox. He’s one of the best young people you’ll ever meet. Unbelievable passion for the game. Still a developing player. Like Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee, he’s an early entrant into the draft, and so they’re elite talents but they’re still in the progression of becoming what they are going to be, and Trenton is no different. He’s a guy that is still developing as a box player, but he’s elite in space. He’s elite coming off the edge. He can cover. He is a physical tackler. There’s just so much you can do with Trenton Simpson and I think his best football is in front of him.

“I think of it kind of like when Tee Higgins came out, and I would put Bryan Bresee, Myles Murphy and Trenton Simpson kind of all in the same category. When the coach of the Bengals called me to ask me to ask about taking Tee with the first pick of the second round, he was like, ‘What are we getting?’ And I said you’re getting a top-15 pick with the first pick of the second round. And you look at what he’s done career-wise and I would say the same thing about Trenton. With Trenton — and Myles and Bryan — they’re great kids, they’re great workers, and their best football is in front of them. And I think regardless of where they’ve been picked, their value is higher. Trenton’s a Swiss Army knife, and it’s going to be fun to watch him mature and develop and find his way. He’s very similar to Isaiah Simmons in that he’s just got this real dynamic skill set that will translate to the next level.”

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/LINEBACKERS COACH WES GOODWIN:
“First of all, they are getting a great young man who comes to work every day with the right mindset and attitude to improve and prepare like a pro. Trenton’s work ethic is unmatched. He devotes free time to bettering himself both as a football player and personally. They are getting a worker, a guy that is going to show up every day and bring great energy and great focus in the meeting rooms and take that to the practice fields. He’s a guy that is ultra-competitive and wants to win every rep, and he’s a guy who is going to strain and give you everything he’s got.”

Courtesy of clemsontigers.com