AIKEN, S.C. — Dabo Swinney was mildly surprised that Mario Goodrich didn’t hear his name called during last month’s NFL draft.
Speaking with The Clemson Insider at Thursday’s Prowl & Growl event at Aiken Technical College, Clemson’s head coach said that he thought somebody would draft Goodrich between the fifth and seventh rounds.
After going undrafted, the former Clemson cornerback signed a free-agent deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, which included $217K in fully guaranteed money, which is generally more than late-round draft picks receive.
“At the end of the day, he probably came out better by not getting drafted in the sixth or seventh round,” Swinney said Thursday. “He got more money…sometimes it works out better for you because again he did get to pick his station and financially, he got probably fifth-round money. At the end of the day, it’s all about making it and I think he’s well-positioned and will do fine.”
“As it turned out, it worked out great for him,” Swinney added.
Goodrich was arguably the Tigers’ best all-around corner this past season, tying for the team lead with nine pass breakups. He was third among Clemson’s defensive backs with 48 tackles and also had two interceptions, including a pick-six in the Tigers’ Cheez-It Bowl victory over Iowa State, after which he was named the game’s MVP.
Now, he’ll be joining a secondary in Philadelphia, which includes former Clemson standout, K’Von Wallace.
“Absolutely,” Swinney said when asked if Philadelphia was a good landing spot for Goodrich. “Certainly K’Von, having somebody there that knows him, that can show him the ropes a bit, certainly doesn’t hurt. I like the coach there (Nick Sirianni). I’ve talked with him a time or two.
“Again, regardless of where you go in, it’s all about making it and being able to try to have as much longevity as you can. I think Mario will take full advantage of it and they’ve shown that they’re very invested in him. So, we’ll see.”
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