Of all the players in this upcoming 2022 NFL draft, Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross has one of the hardest futures to assess.
Once upon a time, after his freshman season back in 2018, Ross was considered a locked and loaded first-round pick with the potential to even go in the top 10 come eligibility. Fast forward to the present day, Ross is now predicted to be selected between the third and fourth round.
The main reason for this drop-off is simply injuries. After suffering from a congenital neck injury that caused Ross to miss all of the 2020 season, he then suffered a hairline fracture in his foot that he played through as long as he could until ultimately sitting out the rest of the late season for the Tigers.
Injuries will be concerning for NFL teams. They are investing a pick in you to be part of their future, and with the neck injury specifically, it is likely enough of a red flag to keep Ross off of some team’s draft boards completely.
With all of these concerns, why risk a pick on Ross? Well, it’s what he can do when he’s healthy.
Here’s a stat line to check out:
| 46 Catches | 1,000 YDS | 21.7 AVG | 9 TD | 74 LNG |
Looks like a reasonably impressive stat line, no? That’s Ross his freshman year… at 18 years old, playing with NFL talent around him, including one of the brightest young receivers in the league in Tee Higgins. All of this done on a national championship winning team. If you speak to people who know that season for Clemson well, some people would argue that Ross was the best receiver on the team.
This is the main reason I believe Ross is well worth the risk. His breakout age of 18 is ideal for what NFL teams are looking for and he has proven that at his best, he was one of the best wide receivers in college football.
Ross and George Pickens are dealing with similar issues, yet Ross is projected between the third and fourth round and Pickens is projected to be between the late first round to late second round.
Both had freshman year breakouts, dealt with injuries, and both had extremely high ceilings. The only thing Pickens had on Ross was the combine numbers, and Ross wasn’t 100% come that time.
I’m not here to guarantee Ross is a star at the next level because he’s not. I’m here to say he’s worth the risk for any NFL team as the sky is the limit for this guy.
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