There was arguably no player that improved their stock better in the 2021 season than that of LSU Tigers linebacker Damone Clark.
An argument can be made for a player such as Kenny Pickett having the greatest rise but quarterbacks are habitually overdrafted and graded on a completely different curve.
On the national stage as far as draft prospects are concerned, Clark was relatively unknown to everyone outside of Baton Rouge. He was viewed more as a day three guy but as of right now, he could be a fringe day two linebacker for a litany of teams in the NFL. Clark was named the best linebacker at the Senior Bowl. He joined Neil Farrell Jr and Ed Ingram as the best players at their position in Mobile.
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Luke Easterling of Draft Wire highlighted the big winners of the week-long process in Mobile. Among the names was Clark.
What Easterling Says…
Utah’s Devin Lloyd and Georgia’s Nakobe Dean are the consensus top linebackers and behind them are a few candidates vying for the spot. Clark made a strong case to be LB3. Leading the pack in run stops during practices, Clark was explosive when attacking downhill. He was just as effective blitzing, especially in a one-on-one rep against one of the top pass-protecting running backs in Alabama’s Brian Robinson, as Clark shrugged him off with ease. Another thing going for Clark is that he should test out well athletically at the Combine.
Clark put together one of the best seasons in LSU Tigers football history at linebacker. He was among the nation’s leaders with 135 tackles, 15 TFLs, five sacks, and one interception. He sacked Texas A&M quarterback Zach Calzada on back-to-back plays to seal the comeback victory making LSU bowl eligible.
Not to mention Clark was among the finalists for the Dick Butkus Award given annually to the nation’s top linebacker. Against Ole Miss, Clark tallied a career-high 19 tackles. Going from relative unknown to a day two prospect would be a massive accomplishment for the Baton Rouge native.
Next up is the NFL combine where he will surely test well.
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