Report: Broncos Have Private Visit With T.J. Clemmings
According to a report from FOX Sports’ Alex Marvez, the Denver Broncos will have a private visit with Pittsburgh Panthers offensive tackle T.J. Clemmings before the 2015 NFL Draft.
.@GoPittFootball T TJ Clemmings @TAClemmings_90 has pre-draft visits set w/ @Broncos @STLouisRams & @Saints @SiriusXMNFL @MarkdominikESPN
— Alex Marvez (@alexmarvez) April 3, 2015
Clemmings is considered one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the draft, a player that converted from a defensive tackle and has shown exciting athletic ability in his move to the offensive side of the football.
Some are more high on Clemmings than others, though.
There are plenty of draft analysts who feel Clemmings is a future left tackle in the NFL, but he’s going to take plenty of time to develop. In fact, there are some who believe Clemmings is so raw in his ability as a tackle that he’s not even cut out to start this year as a rookie.
That would be a problem for the Broncos, if true.
If the Broncos were to draft Clemmings, it would certainly be with the intentions that he would play as a rookie at right tackle, maybe at left guard depending on how they view him. The situation on the Broncos’ offensive line looks a lot better when you lay out the current depth chart and project some guys to the next level (Michael Schofield, Matt Paradis) but nothing is a sure thing at this point.
A rookie tackle isn’t going to change that by any means, but Clemmings is an exciting young player with huge upside. NFL Mocks, a brother site here on the FanSided NFL Network, had this to say bout Clemmings:
“There aren’t many technical flaws in Clemmings’ game. For a player who’s only been on the offensive side of the ball for just over two years, he’s fundamentally sound as he should be at this point in time, and will surely only get better with the right coaching…
Looking at the tape, you see a guy who’s very refined as a pass protector with a fluid first-step and the ability to maintain a square frame against the edge. Clemmings has extremely broad shoulders and keeps a wide base, making it difficult for defenders to swim around or rip underneath.”
The Broncos haven’t had many/any reported private visits with guys who are considered to be first round prospects, so the fact that Clemmings is coming in and that it was reported might be significant. He’s expected to be off the board in the top 40-50 picks.