Justyn Ross and the 7 best Clemson NFL Draft prospects with most to gain this season

3. Frank Ladson, receiver

Mostly buried on the depth chart thus far, Ladson has 27 receptions over his first two seasons at Clemson. He was also banged up last season (eight games played), and had an issue with drops. But the top-40 overall recruit in the 2019 class (the No. 7 wide receiver in the country, per 247 Sports) has an opportunity in front of him this year with Rodgers and Powell gone to the NFL.

Six of Ladson’s career receptions have been touchdowns, which points to his upside if he can get and stay on the field. In terms of physical profile (6-foot-3, 205 pounds), he’s a close comp to another Clemson wide receiver left on this list.

2. Andrew Booth Jr., cornerback

Booth saw significant action for the first time in 2020, with flashes of elite athleticism and ball skills. With Derion Kendrick no longer part of the program at Clemson, a clear starting job is in store for the junior cornerback this year.

In the aforementioned top-100 2022 draft prospect rankings from Josh Edwards of CBS Sports, Booth comes in at No. 21. Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network has Booth No. 19 in his early top-50 ranking, with a nod to a lofty possible draft status.

"If everything goes right for Andrew Booth Jr. in 2021, he can be a top-five pick. That’s not an overstatement. Booth needs to be more consistent, but his pallet of traits is awe-inspiring. The former WR has a long frame. He’s incredibly explosive and twitchy. His best trait, however, is his outrageous coordination and playmaking ability."

It takes a special cornerback to go top-5 in a draft. But Booth has that upside, and he feels like a lock to be a first-round pick at this early stage.

1. Justyn Ross, receiver

A neck injury cost Ross all of last season, and kept him from building on a strong first two seasons at Clemson. As a freshman in 2018 he posted an even 1,000 yards on 21.7 yards per catch with nine touchdowns. In 2019, he had 66 receptions for 865 yards and eight more scores. He is a legit combination of size (6-foot-4, 205 pounds), speed and contested catch ability.

The question mark for Ross heading into the 2021 season is his health since neck issues are different than a lot of injuries and can be tough to recover from. But he is a 2022 first-round prospect until shown otherwise, with the potential to go off the board very early.

Other Clemson 2022 draft prospects to watch: DE Xavier Thomas, OL Jordan McFadden, TE Braden Galloway, CB Sheridan Jones, OG Matt Bockhorst