Pre-draft evaluation of Bills EDGE T.J. Parker

As a pass rusher, Parker is a power-based athlete with developing polish. His bull rush is a clear strength, and he flashes enough flexibility to corner despite not being a true bend-first threat. He has shown effective use of rip and cross-chop moves, though his usage and sequencing can improve, particularly when countering off his long-arm. While not explosive off the snap, his closing speed, balance, and ability to stay active through contact help him finish plays.

Against the run, Parker plays with strength and urgency, consistently holding his ground and overpowering tight ends. He stays engaged, works off blocks, and finishes. Overall, he projects as a high-floor, three-down EDGE with upside tied to his pass-rush development, thanks to his blend of size, length, and functional power.

T.J. Parker relevant stats at Clemson

Career snaps at Clemson: 1,653

Career pressure rate: 13.0%

Career run stop rate: 13.8%

I list pressure rate instead of sacks because pressures are more predictive of future sacks than past sacks themselves. And for reference, after scouting the NFL Draft for almost 15 years now, 15% is the pressure rate I use as a reference point — it’s a darn good figure. When an EDGE prospect dips close to 10%, that’s concerning, if he approaches 20%, that’s like Myles Garrett/Micah Parsons elite-level pass-rushing production.

Final thoughts on Bills second-round pick of EDGE T.J. Parker

Strictly based on my pre-draft evaluations and grades, which of course are meant from a league-wide perspective and not tailored to specific teams, there were three EDGEs I would’ve picked for the 3-4 rush outside linebacker role ahead of Parker — Cashius Howell, Derrick Moore, and Keyron Craword (the latter of which had a 0.1+ grade edge on Parker).

But Parker probably was the “safest” selection of the three.

Let me explain.

Howell had arm length in the 0 percentile. Not 1st percentile… 0 percentile. His wingspan of 74 1/4 inches was in the 1st percentile. That’s a big red flag on profile.

Crawford was dealing with a hamstring injury and didn’t workout pre-draft. While of course we can’t blame him for an injury, many teams shy away from early-round selections on prospects without workout figures because they can’t compare them, in a quantifiable way, to historical data. I certainly can agree with that.

It would’ve been a toss-up between Moore and Parker if I was making the decision at No. 35 overall — very comparable stylistically with similar physiques — but we only got a 30-inch vertical (14th percentile, yikes) and 115-inch broad (44th percentile, not amazing) from Moore at the Michigan Pro Day. Those aren’t early Round 2 figures.

With Parker, the Bills got, as Maxwell Owens put it, a “thudding” three-year full-time player at a premier program who flashed serious pass-rush capabilities early in his career — a good indicator of NFL success — and settled into more of a three-down role in his final season at Clemson. He comes with a desirable blend of NFL-readiness and upside, particularly due to his ascending yet not totally loaded pass-rush move arsenal.