Clemson coach Dabo Swinney watched two of his former players get scooped up during this year’s NFL Draft.
First, it was cornerback Andrew Booth going to the Minnesota Vikings during Friday’s second round. Then linebacker Baylon Spector was drafted in the sixth round by the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
Heading into his 14th year as the Tigers’ full-time coach, Swinney coached both throughout their Clemson careers. With Booth, Swinney said the first thing the Vikings are getting is a “great person with a great spirit to him.”
“A guy that loves to play,” Swinney said in a statement. “From a football standpoint, they’re getting a rare corner — long, explosive, fast, a physical tackler at the corner position, which is really not always the case, with great ball skills. Very instinctive guy, and I think a guy that helps the team right away.”
As for Spector, a two-year starter at weakside linebacker, Swinney noted his athleticism as well as the championship experience he believes Spector will bring to the Bills’ locker room after Spector spent five years at Clemson.
“Baylon Spector, as you saw at the (scouting) combine, can really run,” Swinney said. “You don’t see many guys his size that can run like that.
“Baylon is a true Will (linebacker) that can really cover and play on the edge but also can move in and play Mike. I think that he’s got outstanding Day 1 potential with his size, with his speed, with his experience and with his knowledge of the game but also his ability to be a Day 1 starter on special teams on all core teams.”
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