The last season has been a major disappointment for the Kansas City Chiefs. So now, it seems like anything that has been the status quo needs to change, including the Chiefs’ preferred edge rusher profile. The Chiefs and Steve Spagnuolo have always seemed to gravitate toward larger-bodied edge rushers who are reliable against the run but lack bend and speed. The last two times the Chiefs have looked for more speed off the edge (Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Josh Uche), they’ve failed pretty obviously.
Coming into this season of college football, Clemson edge rusher TJ Parker was viewed as an ascending prospect and a potential top-15 pick. Now his stock seems to be falling after a disappointing season, not only for him but for the entire Clemson team.
The Chiefs’ defensive line is a very obvious area of improvement for the team in 2026. A developmental pass rusher might be a great path for them to go, allowing them to buy low on a production profile that underperformed in 2025 but still has traits that can grow alongside Ashton Gillotte and George Karlaftis. Like it or not, the Chiefs have a type at edge defender, and taking their style of player might not be exciting, but the floor is much higher.
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T.J. Parker | ED | 6-3 260 LBS.
— Price Carter (@priceacarter) January 3, 2026
Thick powerful build. Excels setting the edge and rushing with force. Strong hands, length and physicality make him a reliable run defender and pocket-pusher, though he lacks elite burst & bend Developmental pass rusher.
Shades of: Rob Ninkovich pic.twitter.com/JzHW6sBHOB
NFL Draft Profile: TJ Parker, Edge, Clemson
Age: 21 (on draft day)
Height: 6-3 (listed)
Weight: 265 LBS. (listed)
Tape Exposure: LSU (2025), Syracuse (2025), Texas (2024)
Shades of: Rob Ninkovich or Mykel Williams
TJ Parker Background
Parker was rated as a 4-star prospect by 247 Sports coming out of Phenix City, Alabama. He was the No. 4 overall prospect in Alabama and the No. 6 defensive line prospect in the country. After originally committing to Penn State, he flipped to Clemson in 2022. He got on the field quickly, logging 5.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss as a true freshman. His sophomore season showed his best skills, with 19.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.
The 2025 season was a step back, with career lows in tackles for loss (9.5) and sacks (5). Parker declared for the NFL Draft on December 9.
What makes TJ Parker a high upside player?
NFL Frame
At 6-3, 265 lbs., with long arms, Parker brings a body that can grow and develop into an every-down edge player at the NFL level. His frame is pure muscle, and he uses his long arms well, locking out tackles or tight ends at the edge to get his eyes into the backfield and shed blocks to make plays against the run.
Run Defense
Parker is a Day 1 starter on early downs with his power at the point of attack and his gap integrity. He frequently makes splash plays in the run game and impacts running lanes even on plays that don’t show up in the box score. He is credited with 86 run stops in his three years at Clemson, per PFF.
Versatility
Despite his size, Parker has shown above-average skills in pass coverage, both in spot drop zones and in man coverage on backs in the flat. His length and size make him an option on stunts or reducing inside to create mismatches. He’s played as both a stand-up edge rusher and with his hand in the dirt.
Why Parker is a Project
Lack of Burst
Parker has a below-average first step and rarely wins a rep within the first 3.5 seconds of the pass set. He has average speed and doesn’t possess elite closing speed on the passer in the pocket. This, combined with stiffness around the edge, makes him more of a clean-up sack or coverage sack player than a true game-breaker.
Level of Competition
Most of Parker’s best games have come against lower-level teams where he can out-athlete tackles. In some of the biggest games he’s played, he’s mostly been shut out by NFL-caliber talent such as Kelvin Banks Jr. He lacks a pass-rush tool to consistently win against fundamentally sound tackles.
Incontinency
From game to game, year to year, and even rep to rep, you never know which version of Parker you’re going to get. It’s no surprise that his worst season came during a year in which Clemson was a major disappointment. There are going to be questions about his football character during the process, as he took a significant step back in 2025.
When does he make sense for the Chiefs?
TJ Parker is way too high a risk to take in the first round, where the Chiefs will be picking. He might have been the type of player they’d be interested in back when they were picking in the 30s, but the risk is too great for a player lacking a dominant trait as a pass rusher. He’s got plenty of upside and a very strong future ahead of him if he lands in the right ecosystem. However, for that to work with the Chiefs, he would need to be more like Ashton Gillotte rather than George Karlaftis.
TJ Parker possesses a thick, powerful build. He excels at setting the edge and rushing with force. His strong hands, length, and physicality make him a reliable run defender and pocket pusher, though he lacks elite burst and bend. Developmental pass rusher.
Round Grade: Green Chip (second-round grade)