A three-year Clemson defensive end whose 21.5 career sacks made him a second-round pick, now converting to outside linebacker in Buffalo.
T.J. Parker spent three seasons terrorizing ACC offensive lines from Clemson's defensive front before the Bills took him in the second round. Buffalo is transitioning him to outside linebacker as part of a broader defensive shift, banking on the pass-rush production he showed as a Tiger to translate to a new alignment.
Path to the league
Parker originally committed to Penn State before flipping to Clemson, where he became a true freshman contributor and Freshman All-American in 2023. The Bills selected him with the 35th overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, moving him from defensive end to outside linebacker for their 3-4 scheme.
Career highlights
Over three seasons at Clemson, Parker piled up 21.5 sacks and 41.5 tackles for loss across 39 games. His sophomore season was the peak of his production, with 11 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss and a single-season program record of six forced fumbles.
2025 season recap
In his junior and final college season, Parker started for a Clemson defense that leaned on him as a primary edge presence, finishing with 37 tackles and 5.0 sacks across 12 games before declaring for the draft.
Sources
- Wikipedia: T. J. Parker (American football)
- Spectrum News: Bills select Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker in NFL Draft
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Clemson
- Hometown
- Phenix City, AL, USA
- Age
- 21
- Status
- active
