Jets selected Texas A&M EDGE Micheal Clemons with the No. 117 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
An undersized running back/linebacker in high school, Clemons (6’5/263) didn’t receive any interest as an unranked high school prospect who was forced to go the JUCO route after suffering an injury that derailed his senior year. After redshirting in 2015, he added 40 pounds, moved over to edge rusher, and thrived, accepting a scholarship offer from Texas A&M. Clemons dealt with injuries throughout his Aggies tenure but stayed on the field long enough to make a major impact last year, recording 32 tackles, 11 TFLs, seven sacks, and a forced fumble while being named a team captain. His testing produced a solid 8.21 relative athletic score. One of the older players of this class who spent seven years in college, he does a good job of driving tackles upfield before getting lateral and working back to the inside. A high-motor player who plays with aggression and is relentless in pursuit, Clemons is strong enough to hold the point of attack but lacks the bend and agility to be a complete edge rusher. It’s hard to imagine he improves much at this point, he’s injury-prone, and he has off-the-field issues to be examined. However, Clemons has the power and edge-setting ability to stick around as a rotational lineman if things break right.
