The Buffalo Bills selected Clemson linebacker Baylon Spector in the seventh round (No. 231 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft on Saturday.
Spector was a two-year starter at weakside linebacker from 2020-21 during his five-year Clemson tenure. The two-time All-ACC Academic team honoree played 53 games with 21 starts and finished his career credited with 210 tackles (22.0 for loss), 9.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, three pass breakups and an interception in 1,456 defensive snaps.
Along with the Vikings’ selection of cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. in the second round on Friday, Clemson’s newest additions to the NFL extended the Tigers’ streak of consecutive drafts with at least one selection to 20 since 2003, representing the second-longest streak in school history behind a 24-year streak across the 1951-74 NFL Drafts. Clemson has produced multiple selections in each draft in its active 20-year streak.
With Clemson’s pair of selections in the 2022 NFL Draft, Swinney pushed his career total for draft picks in his head coaching tenure to 71. His 71 draft picks produced are the second-most by any coach in the nation — active or inactive — since the 2009 NFL Draft. Swinney’s 17 defensive backs selected in that span also rank second nationally.
A number of Clemson standouts will now enter the priority free agent pool. Among the group is wide receiver Justyn Ross, whose remarkable comeback from injury earned him a share of the ACC’s 2021 Brian Piccolo Award given to the conference’s most courageous player(s). Ross finished his collegiate career with 2,379 yards and 20 touchdowns; only nine of the 28 wide receivers selected in the 2022 NFL Draft reached both the 2,000-yard and 20-touchdown marks for their careers.
