The 2026 NFL Draft is complete, and all 257 picks across seven rounds have been handed out in Pittsburgh. NFL.com analyst Chad Reuter published final snap grades for every franchise, evaluating each teams haul based on player value relative to draft slot, college film, athleticism scores, and the draft capital exchanged in any trades. For South Carolina football fans, the weekend carried extra weight: eight players with ties to Clemson, USC, or Wofford heard their names called — or signed as priority free agents — delivering the largest combined state class in years.
Clemson Tigers: A Historic Draft Weekend
Clemson placed four players into the draft, making it one of the programs most productive weekends in recent memory. Head coach Dabo Swinneys program produced two first-round selections in a single draft for the first time, with the Detroit Lions taking offensive tackle Blake Miller at No. 17 overall and the Kansas City Chiefs selecting defensive tackle Peter Woods at No. 29 overall.
Miller, a 6-foot-6, 317-pound tackle, stood out at the NFL Scouting Combine with above-average athleticism that clinched his status as a top-25 pick. aggregate analyst grade on the Lions class was an overall A, crediting Miller as a direct answer to Detroits need at tackle following Taylor Deckers departure. Miller became the first Clemson offensive lineman ever drafted in the first round, per Clemson Athletics.
Woods path to Kansas City was equally compelling. The Chiefs traded their first-round picks from the Los Angeles Rams for star cornerback Trent McDuffie, then used the returned 29th selection on Woods. Reuter noted that Woods is an active defensive lineman whose production dipped last fall but who fits Kansas Citys need on the interior. The Chiefs draft class earned a Day 3 grade of A and an overall B+ on aggregate analyst board.
In Round 2, the Buffalo Bills added Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker at No. 35 overall after trading down three times on Day 1 and collecting additional mid-round picks. Reuter called Parker a borderline first-round prospect with a pro-ready body and graded the Bills entire class an A — one of the highest marks of the weekend — crediting Parker as a much-needed physical presence off the edge.
Cornerback Avieon Terrell rounded out the Tiger contingent, landing in Atlanta with the No. 48 pick. The selection reunited the Terrell brothers in one secondary: Avieons older brother A.J. Terrell has been the Falcons No. 1 corner since Atlanta drafted him in 2020. Avieon, a first-team All-ACC selection in 2025 with nine pass breakups and five forced fumbles, will compete for a starting role. Reuter graded the Falcons Day 2 haul an A while noting Atlanta entered the draft without a first-round pick.
No player from Wofford College in Spartanburg was selected in the seven rounds, but the Terriers did not leave Pittsburgh empty-handed. Safety Maximus Pulley, a consensus FCS All-American who earned back-to-back SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors in 2025, signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent immediately after the draft closed. Pulley would be the first Wofford player in the modern era to stick on an NFL roster if he earns a spot.
USC Gamecocks: Three Drafted, One Undrafted
South Carolina placed three players in the seven rounds. Cornerback Brandon Cisse went earliest, selected by the Green Bay Packers at No. 52 overall in the second round. Reuter gave the Packers a Day 2 grade of A-, writing that Cisse is a speedy corner who could grow into a solid starter if he tightens his technique. Green Bays class earned an overall B+.
Safety Jalon Kilgore landed in Buffalo in the fifth round at No. 167 overall, joining Parker on a Bills team Reuter graded as one of the weekends best. Reuter called Kilgore speedy and productive, praising Buffalo for finding excellent value on Day 3. Defensive tackle Nick Barrett went one round earlier in the fifth, taken by the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 145 overall. Reuter noted the Chargers found good depth on both lines with Barrett.
Running back Rahsul Faison, who petitioned the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility to play his one season with the Gamecocks in 2025 after accumulating 470 rushing yards and three touchdowns, did not hear his name called across seven rounds. Faison signed with a team as a priority undrafted free agent after the draft. The 26-year-olds age and a lack of breakaway speed were cited by multiple evaluators as limiting his draft appeal despite a 5.6 yards-per-carry career average at the FBS level.
Grades Around the League
Reuter awarded A grades to four franchises. The Arizona Cardinals topped his board after selecting running back Jeremiyah Love third overall, guard Chase Bisontis in the second round, and quarterback Carson Beck in the third. Reuter called Love the best offensive threat in the draft. The Buffalo Bills also earned an A for a draft Reuter described as disciplined and value-laden from Day 1 through Day 3.
The Detroit Lions took an A for their overall class, led by Miller. The Las Vegas Raiders, fresh off selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick, earned an A- and drew praise for building around a Heisman Trophy winner who threw 41 touchdowns in the 2025 national championship season.
Several franchises drew criticism. The San Francisco 49ers, who entered the draft with limited capital and no first-round pick, received an A- on a class that Reuter still found promising given the constraints. The Atlanta Falcons earned a B- overall, largely because the franchise gambled its first-round pick in a 2025 trade-day deal for edge rusher James Pearce Jr. that did not fully pay off. Washington drew a B for a draft built around linebacker Sonny Styles at No. 7 and a pair of late-round additions.
The Carolina Panthers graded out at A- after taking offensive tackle Monroe Freeling at No. 19, while the Pittsburgh Steelers received an A- for a class headlined by tackle Max Iheanachor and quarterback Drew Allar, who arrived in Pittsburgh as aggregate analyst projected third-round pick.
The South Carolina Angle
For Upstate South Carolina, the draft carried particular resonance across both in-state programs. Clemsons two first-round picks in a single draft — Miller to Detroit and Woods to Kansas City — marked a program milestone that Dabo Swinneys staff can use directly in recruiting. Both players developed within the ACC and entered the league as immediate starters. Avieon Terrell joining his brother A.J. in Atlanta gives the Falcons a secondary built around a family pipeline from Westlake High School in Georgia through Clemsons program to the NFL.
On the Gamecock side, Brandon Cisses second-round selection to Green Bay represents USCs highest draft pick since the programs recent run of defensive backs reaching the league. Wofford College in Spartanburg, a Division I FCS program, saw Maximus Pulley sign with the Eagles and take his shot at a roster spot — a development the Terriers program will track through training camp and preseason games this summer.
