One day after being part of a large contingent at the Georgia Pro Day, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made his annual trek to the Clemson Pro Day.
According to Clemson reporter Jon Blau of The Post and Courier, Tomlin is at Clemson Thursday to see a number of potential 2025 NFL Draft picks work out in front of personnel from all 32 NFL teams. According to Blau, Tomlin is the lone NFL head coach in attendance.
Tomlin has repeatedly stated that he loves the NFL Draft process and Clemson Pro Day is stop he makes seemingly every year thanks to the talent that Tigers coach Dabo Swinney churns out every season.
This year Clemson players like linebacker Barrett Carter, tight end Jake Briningstool, running back Phil Mafah and safety R.J. Mickens are ones to watch in the 2025 NFL Draft.
At the NFL Scouting Combine just a few weeks ago, the Steelers had informal meetings with Briningstool and Mickens, who is the son for former NFL cornerback Ray Mickens.
Along with the Clemson draft prospects who will be working out in front of NFL scouts and front office personnel, QB Cade Klubnik, who is a potential first-round quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, will be throwing at Clemson Pro Day, giving teams an early look at the Tigers’ standout quarterback, according to Greenville News Clemson beat writer Derrian Carter.
Briningstool is arguably the biggest name for the Tigers ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s coming off a season in which he hauled in 49 passes for 531 yards and seven touchdowns. In his career at Clemson, Briningstool had 127 catches for 1,380 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Steelers Depot’s Efram Geller compared the Briningstool to Grant Calcaterra of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mafah is an intriguing player due to his size and production at the running back position. The Steelers scouted him during the season against Virginia Tech, so they have had a look at him. Mafah was supposed to participate in the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl but missed it due to injury.
During his final season at Clemson, Mafah rushed for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 5.2 yards on 216 carries. He measured in at 6005, 230 at the Combine but did not test.
Mickens is a name to know at the safety position due to his bloodlines. His father, Ray, was a third-round pick of the New York Jets in the 1996 NFL Draft.
During his time at Clemson, R.J. Mickens posted 229 tackles, 13.5 for loss, seven interceptions, 15 pass breakups and a fumble recovery across 60 career games, becoming the 10th player in program history to play 60 career games.
He played nearly 3,000 snaps in college. In 2024, Mickens recorded 75 tackles, six tackles for loss, nine passes defensed and two interceptions.
