Jadeveon Clowney Will Be Top-5 Pick in 2014 NFL Draft Despite Criticism

Call him lazy. Say he's giving less than his best.

Say what you will about Jadeveon Clowney, but there is one title that scouts, the media and even former coaches can't take away from him—the No. 1 defensive player in the 2014 NFL draft class.

The former South Carolina defensive end came into the season with hype around him that quickly turned into criticism after a lackluster performance against North Carolina in the season opener.

Since that point, nearly everyone has scrutinized him. Even after he had already hung up his cleats for the Gamecocks, former coach Steve Spurrier underscored Clowney's effort, according to Jeff Reynolds of CBS Sports:

"

He was OK. It wasn't like Marcus Lattimore, you know, every player is a little different. His work habits are pretty good, they're not quite like Lattimore, a Stephon Gilmore, Melvin Ingram, some of those guys, but when the ball is snapped he's got something no one else has.

"

That's exactly what scouts and coaches were looking for when the NFL Scouting Combine got underway. Clowney's explosiveness and ability were once again like no other in the class, setting him apart in scouts' minds once again.

At least most scouts, that is. One unnamed scout in attendance wasn't quite as impressed with Clowney and made it known, per Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

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I would not put my job on the line for that guy. Who has a profile like that that's been successful in the NFL? Lazy. Not playing hard [...] I think his physical talent is being overblown. At what point in his life has he had to push himself? Now you're going to give him this money and say, 'Do something you're never done in your life before. Against guys you just can't run over.' I would not do it.

"

OK, so with all of these poignant discussions about Clowney mailing it in on the field, how did he earn the title as the best defensive player in the country?

Oh, that's right. He only finished with 24 sacks during his three years at South Carolina and crushed opponents with his bruising ability and speed that led to a 4.53 second 40-yard dash at the combine.

In response to Spurrier's comments on his work ethic, Clowney said he never believed he didn't go all out during practice or on the field for the Gamecocks, per Chase Goodbread of NFL.com:

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I wouldn't have anything to say about it. That's just an opinion. I believe I did work hard. You can pull out any practice tape from last year, and you'll see that. I'll tell anybody that. I'm always going to be working hard, no matter where I am at. I'm going to work hard and give a team everything I've got.

"

Clowney didn't put up the same numbers as his breakout 2012 season. After posting 4.5 sacks against Clemson in the final game of 2012, the defensive end was only able to register three sacks in his junior year.

But what Clowney did on the field near the end of the season was prove his worth in the rushing defense as well. The star was constantly double or triple teamed on the field, but didn't let that hold him back.

During his combine press conference, per Goodbread, Clowney spoke about why he didn't end up with the same stats by saying, "I wasn't really worried about my stats. I just wanted to win."

Those are magical words for any NFL executive and coach. Statistics speak volumes, but putting it all on the line to help the team win is what every NFL franchise wants out of their top pick in the draft.

Then there's the fact that he put up nearly identical numbers to another defensive player that has made his mark in the NFL since being drafted, according to ESPN Stats and Info:

"

Since 2006, the only defensive players to run the 40-yd dash in 4.53 and do exactly 21 bench press reps are Von Miller and Jadeveon Clowney

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 26, 2014"

With multiple teams coveting his ability, there's a chance that a team outside of the top five, the Atlanta Falcons, could move up and nab Clowney by trading with one of the top teams.

Regardless of what scouts, former coaches and players say about Clowney leading up to the draft, he is a tremendous talent that will go to one of the first five teams in the draft.

Thanks to an insatiable appetite for destruction and elite athleticism, Clowney will wreak havoc on NFL quarterbacks in 2014. And despite any disputes about his practicing effort and not pushing himself, expect Clowney being taken by a team in need in the top five.

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