Jadeveon Clowney: How South Carolina Freshman Stacks Up with Other NFL Prospects

Every now and then a player comes along that defies age and reason. Jadeveon Clowney is one of those players that warrants our attention. He is several years away from draft eligibility, but is already displaying NFL talents. Clowney has a ton of time to make an impression, but he is already on the radar of evaluators.

So far this season, Clowney has only seen limited playing time. However, when on the field, Clowney has shown the ability to create pressure. He has started his college career with two sacks and two-and-a-half tackles for loss. The ability to disrupt an offense is highly sought after by NFL teams.

Clowney has tremendous athletic ability and quickness. However, his size is what is most impressive. At 6'6", 250 pounds, Clowney is on his way to developing defensive end size. He is just scratching at the surface of his talents and is producing based on physical gifts, not technique.

He needs to do a better job gaining leverage. At the snap, Clowney raises his pad level, limiting his leverage, which impacts his ability to anchor. He also needs to work on developing different pass-rushing moves. At this point, he depends on his quickness to threaten the edge. As he develops, Clowney will add several counter moves.

For a player of his status, Clowney shows a good work ethic and passion for the game. It isn't rare to find players with a ton of hype lacking a strong work ethic.

Clowney is years away from the NFL, but is already showing tremendous skill. With hard work, he could find himself fighting for the top overall pick. Match him up with other defensive end prospects and an argument could be made to select Clowney in the 2012 draft. The key word is "potential." There are not many players in college football that can match his upside.

Everyone needs to remain patient, but we could anticipate Clowney making plays on Sunday.