Maybe it’s because he looks too good to be true.
Jadeveon Clowney might not be the first player taken in the May 8-10 NFL Draft, but the South Carolina defensive end certainly will go down as the most heavily scrutinized.
A downright freakish combination of size, speed and football skill, the 6-foot-5, 265-pound Clowney — who has 10-inch hands and an 83-inch wingspan — has been called a once-in-a-lifetime prospect by some and likened to Lawrence Taylor in his prime by others.
Still buzzing about the epic hit he put on Michigan’s Vincent Smith two years ago, ESPN even wondered aloud last month if Clowney — who has yet to take his first NFL snap — is a future Hall of Famer.
But in an age when seemingly everyone on the planet considers themselves a draft expert, Clowney has been a favorite target of critics and skeptics, too.
Much of the focus has centered on Clowney’s intensity, focus and dedication to the game, all of which came into question after his play slipped noticeably in an injury-marred 2013.
Clowney only can shake his head in dismay at what has often felt like a no-win situation.
“A lot of people expected stuff that was impossible last season, like 10 sacks a game, 30 tackles-for-loss,” Clowney said at the scouting combine. “I knew that wasn’t going to happen, of course, but a lot of people expected it.”
Clowney didn’t come anywhere near those numbers as a junior, of course, battling injuries, extra attention from opponents and the occasional sarcastic verbal dart from Steve Spurrier in a year that was much more individually frustrating than historic.
Clowney’s sack numbers fell significantly, from 13 as a sophomore to just three last season. He also missed two games for health reasons, though one of the absences was ordered by Spurrier over Clowney’s protests.
But the statistical dropoff wasn’t a surprise to NFL general managers and scouts savvy enough to realize Clowney would be a marked man last year. One league scouting service recently wrote after a game-tape review of Clowney’s 2013 season that he is “the most schemed-against defensive player we have ever evaluated.”
Clowney bristles at those who question the work ethic they claim to have seen from him last season or snicker that he went half-speed to protect his draft position.
“I was out there trying to help my team win games,” Clowney said. “I wasn’t worried about draft stock or nothing. That will take care of itself. I was out there trying to make plays for my team, no matter what it took.”
Despite his doubters, scouts say Clowney still has a very good chance of going No. 1 overall and is the class of a defensive-line crop that isn’t exactly star-filled this year.
The other linemen with first-round grades are all defensive tackles, with Pittsburgh’s Aaron Donald and Timmy Jernigan of national-champion Florida State gathering the most attention, and Ra’Shede Hageman of Minnesota and Notre Dame’s Louis Nix III also sources of intrigue.
The linebacker class also has a Clowney-like headliner in Buffalo’s Khalil Mack, a sideline-to-sideline playmaker with prototype size who is considered a potential top-five pick.
Other likely or possible first-rounders at linebacker include C.J. Mosley of Alabama, UCLA’s Anthony Barr, Ryan Shazier of Ohio State and Wisconsin’s Chris Borland.
But even with skeptics picking apart seemingly every aspect of his game and psyche, Clowney still stands above them all.
And if you want to know why he thinks he should be the first player drafted, Clowney points to the most recent Super Bowl.
“Seattle’s defense won that game, shut them down, [nearly] shut them out,” Clowney said of the Seahawks’ 43-8 rout of the Broncos. “It takes defense to win championships, hands down. You had a great quarterback in Peyton Manning, but defense wins the Super Bowl.”
Rating the prospects
Post NFL writer Bart Hubbuch ranks the defensive linemen and linebackers in the May 8-10 draft:
Defensive linemen: The top five
1. Jadeveon Clowney*, DE, South Carolina, 6-5, 265
Freakish combination of size and speed could go No. 1 overall.
2. Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh, 6-1, 285
Sturdy, productive lineman missed one game in four years.
3. Timmy Jernigan*, DT, Florida State, 6-2, 300
Made up for a so-so combine with a terrific pro day.
4. Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota, 6-6, 310
Durable plugger with great speed (5.0) for his size.
5. Louis Nix III*, DT, Notre Dame, 6-2, 330
Knee surgery limited him to just eight games in 2013.
*underclassman
Late riser: Demarcus Lawrence, DE/OLB, Boise State: Shaved two-tenths of a second off his combine 40 time (down to 4.65) at a very impressive pro day last month.
Dropping fast: Nix: Injuries, surgery, wildly fluctuating weight and a poor combine showing have sent his stock tumbling.
Small-school wonder: Larry Webster III, DE, Bloomsburg (Pa.): Speedy, athletic pass-rusher also has good genes as the son of longtime NFL defensive tackle Larry Webster Jr.
Linebackers: The top five
1. Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo, 6-3, 250
Prototypical size, speed and skills for an NFL outside linebacker.
2. C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama, 6-2, 235
Model citizen with a great combination of football smarts, instinct.
3. Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA, 6-5, 255
Has played defense for just two years, so the upside is plentiful.
4. Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio State, 6-1, 235
Productive, but slight frame and durability are concerns.
5. Chris Borland, ILB, Wisconsin, 5-11, 245
The comparisons to Zach Thomas look legitimate.
*underclassman
Late riser: Dee Ford, OLB, Auburn: Impressed scouts by bouncing back from a combine medical exclusion with a strong pro day just two weeks later.
Dropping fast: Michael Sam, OLB, Missouri: His plummet has nothing to do with sexuality and everything to do with his woeful combine and pro day performances.
Small-school wonder: Jordan Tripp, OLB, Montana: Turned heads at the combine with a terrific effort that could make him a second-day pick.
What Giants might do
The Giants this offseason saw their best defensive tackle, Linval Joseph, sign with the Vikings and watched defensive end and captain Justin Tuck, who led them with 11 sacks in 2013, sign with the Raiders. The lone free-agent addition on the line, DE Robert Ayers, has 12 career sacks in five years with the Broncos.
At DT, the Giants have in reserve Cullen Jenkins as a returning starter and expect Johnathan Hankins in his second year to take a big step forward. They need a return to form for DE Jason Pierre-Paul. Defensive line is certainly a way the Giants could go with their first-round pick in the NFL Draft, with super-productive Aaron Donald of Pittsburgh an inviting target, along with massive Louis Nix of Notre Dame.
At linebacker, the Giants made sure to re-sign Jon Beason to anchor the middle of their defense and added former Raven Jameel McClain to go along with a returning group that includes Jacquian Williams, Spencer Paysinger and Mark Herzlich. A linebacker in the first round isn’t likely for the Giants, but should UCLA’s Anthony Barr drop to No. 12, watch out.
— Paul Schwartz
What Jets might do
The Jets are not set at many positions, but defensive line is one of them. After taking Muhammad Wilkerson, Quinton Coples and Sheldon Richardson in the first round of the past three drafts, the Jets have built a strong unit. They could use some of their late-round picks to build some depth at the position, but it would be shocking if they took a defensive lineman early.
They could look for an outside linebacker in the middle rounds to sit behind Calvin Pace this year then take over as a starter in 2015. Pace is coming off a 10-sack season but turns 34 in October. The Jets will need to develop an edge pass rusher to play opposite of Coples over the next few years.
— Brian Costello