Clemson DT Dexter Lawrence Declares for 2019 NFL Draft

Clemson star Dexter Lawrence will forgo his senior season to test his ability at the NFL level next season. 

The Tigers defensive tackle announced his decision to enter the 2019 NFL draft in a post on Twitter:

Lawrence has been part of the dominant Clemson defensive line for the past three years. The 21-year-old was named ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2016 after recording 8.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks to help the Tigers win the College Football Playoff Championship. 

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller has Lawrence ranked as the sixth-best defensive lineman and No. 22 overall prospect in the 2019 draft class. 

It is telling where NFL teams have been with Lawrence that at one point during his sophomore season he was considered a potential No. 1 overall pick. 

"He has the tools to be the next [Ndamukong] Suh," one NFL scout told B/R's Adam Kramer in November 2017. "First overall talent. Good luck not watching 90."

More than one year later, Lawrence isn't being held in that high regard. He's been inconsistent since his breakout 2016 season—including recording just 10.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons—but this could turn out to be a good thing for him. 

Lawrence will also have to answer questions during the predraft process regarding the failed drug test that resulted in him being suspended for both of Clemson's College Football Playoff games against Notre Dame and Alabama.

With Lawrence's stock slipping, at least to some extent, he will walk into February's scouting combine able to dazzle scouts with the raw physical tools that led to him being compared to Suh. 

If Lawerence ends up testing anywhere close to what Suh did, he's going to be one of the first players taken in the 2019 NFL draft.