Clemson Tigers linebacker Trenton Simpson was selected in the third round and 86th overall by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2023 NFL Draft on Friday.
Simpson was projected as a first-round fringe pick but had to wait deep into the second day to have his name called.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Simpson is the highest Clemson linebacker selected since Isaiah Simmons when eighth overall to the Arizona Cardinals in 2020.
With our third-round pick, we’ve selected LB Trenton Simpson from Clemson!
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) April 29, 2023
Welcome to Baltimore, @TrentonSimpson_! pic.twitter.com/74DTKdGpU9
In three years with the Tigers, Simpson totaled 165 tackles, 23 tackles for a loss and 13 sacks in 33 career games.
Simpson shined as a sophomore in 2021 when he recorded 6.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for a loss as the starting SAM LB.
As a junior, Simpson started the season inside at WILL before moving back to SAM after the emergence of sophomore Barrett Carter while Simpson missed time with an injury. Simpson had a career-high 72 tackles but finished with 2.5 sacks and four tackles for a loss in 12 games in 2022.
Simpson impressed scouts with a blazing 4.43 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine.
"Actually, I did a lot better than I prepared for,” Simpson said. “I went in with a goal of maybe 4.48, 4.49, but I put in some major work in Texas. When I went out there and ran, I felt great."
Want to join in on the discussion? 100% FREE! Interact with fellow Tiger fans and hear directly from publisher Zach Lentz, deputy editor Brad Senkiw, recruiting analyst Jason Priester and staff writer Will Vandervort on any subject. Click here to become a member of the ALL CLEMSON message board community today!
Do us a HUGE favor and like, subscribe and follow us on social media:
►LIKE us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allclemson
►SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/AllClemson
►FOLLOW All Clemson on Twitter:https://twitter.com/All_Clemson