Throughout Dabo Swinney’s coaching career, Clemson has always produce offensive weapons that get drafted by NFL teams. Throughout the past couple of years, NFL teams have taken a deep look at Clemson players when the draft comes over. Teams are going to be looking at Clemson again this year, and they are going to take a look at one of their best offensive players, Jake Briningstool.
Back in 2021, Jake Briningstool was one of the top tight end recruits in his class when he committed to Clemson. Gathering 3rd team All-ACC honors last year, Jake had 50 receptions for 498 yards and 5 touchdowns. This year, Jake has had 24 receptions for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns.
PLAYER INFO
Name: Jake Briningstool
Jersey: 9
Position: TE
School: Clemson
Class: Senior
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 240
Jake Briningstool’s STRENGTHS
One of Briningstool’s major strengths is his size. He has NFL size, which helps him have a huge catch radius that benefits his quarterback. His size also helps him become a mismatch against linebackers and defensive backs, which helps him when he is in a contested catch situation.
He is a versatile player, lining up both in the slot and on the outside in OC Garrett Riley’s offense. He is a strong route runner, with solid ability to sell blocks before running. He tracks the football well, especially in the red zone. He earned his way to being part of the captain rotation that Clemson has (Captain Week 2 vs Appalachian State).
Jake Briningstool’s WEAKNESSES
There are concerns I have with Briningstool. While he has NFL size, he uses that to trap a lot of passes to his body when they are thrown at him. He is a willing blocker but he is slender which causes him to get thrown around by defenders. He has limited explosiveness, which hurts him in the YAC category and when he is working on shaking off defenders.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Briningstool has the ability to be a Day 2 pick but I have him pegged as a early Day 3 pick. Teams will be drawn to him due to his size and route running skills. He needs to work on his blocking and his ability to get yards after the catch, which hurts his draft stock. If he continues on a solid season and improve in those areas, I can see teams reaching for him on Day 2 to have him for passing situations at the beginning of his career.
