Ruke Orhorhoro will find no shortage of Clemson brethren when he steps into the Atlanta Falcons locker room for the first time.
The standout defensive tackle was drafted 35th overall by Atlanta in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night. The Falcons traded up with the Arizona Cardinals to draft Orhorhoro in a move that came as a surprise to draft analysts and pundits.
While at Clemson, Orhorhoro finished a stellar five-year career with 97 total tackles (25.5 for loss). He also had 12 sacks, nine pass breakups and two fumble recoveries over 53 games.
Assuming the Falcons’ roster stays as is, Orhorhoro will be one of five former Clemson players who will take the field for Atlanta in 2024.
The Falcons are no stranger to drafting Clemson talent through the years. In 2020, the franchise selected cornerback A.J. Terrell with their first-round pick (16th overall). Veteran defensive end Grady Jarrett, who just completed his ninth season with the team, was a fifth-round pick by Atlanta in 2015.
In free agency, the Falcons added a former Clemson standout last month in wide receiver/kick returner Ray-Ray McCloud. And on special teams, Bradley Pinion has been the Falcons’ punter each of the past two seasons, starting all 34 games. Pinion was a fifth-round selection by the San Francisco 49ers in 2015 who started two years at Clemson.
Among other former Clemson players who starred with Atlanta at one point or another through the years, linebacker Vic Beasley was drafted eighth overall by the Dirty Birds in 2015. Malliciah Goodman was a fourth-round pick by Atlanta in 2013 and spent parts of four seasons with the Falcons.
To take things further back in time, according to the statistical website Sports-Reference.com, the Falcons drafted their first Clemson player in 1984 with the selection of cornerback Rod McSwain.
McSwain was a member of the Tigers’ 1981 national championship team under coach Danny Ford and was chosen in the third round by Atlanta. The Falcons and coach Dan Henning traded McSwain to New England in August of that year before the start of the ’84 season.
A year later, the Falcons selected another cornerback out of Clemson in Reggie Pleasant. Pleasant was a late-round pick who only played in three games during his NFL career — all in 1985.
And in 1987, the Falcons went in on another Tigers player when they drafted running back Kenny Flowers, who started 44 games in four years at Clemson. Flowers played in two seasons with Atlanta in 1987 and 1989.
Orhorhoro is the first Clemson player drafted by Atlanta since Terrell in 2020.