The Philadelphia Eagles have selected Clemson Tigers running back Will Shipley with the No. 127 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Shipley has officially landed in the NFL after spending three years in Death Valley under the leadership of national championship-winning head coach Dabo Swinney.
Shipley was one of the more highly sought-after recruits in his class but elected to commit to Swinney and Clemson early on, allowing him to focus on his senior year of college football. After arriving in the summer of 2021, the Matthews, NC native made an instant impact, earning playing time at running back as a true freshman. In his freshman year, Shipley would play in 10 games And average 5 yards per carry on 149 attempts with 739 yards. He would also have 11 rushing touchdowns. Shipley’s best season was his sophomore season, where he played in 14 games and recorded 110 carries for 1182 yards, 15 rushing touchdowns, and 242 yards receiving.
Last season’s offensive struggles for Clemson impacted their running back to an extent. He had arguably his worst collegiate year, finishing 2023 with less than double-digit touchdowns (7) for the first time at Clemson. She applied time as a Tiger, concluding with him recording 526 carries for 2748 yards, averaging 5.2 yards per carry, with 31 rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns.
What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Will Shipley
NFL.com gives Will Shipley a prospect grade of 6.16, putting him in the middle of the group classified as a ‘Good Backup With The Potential To Develop Into Starter.’ NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein provided an analysis of the former Clemson running back’s ability and how it transitions to the next level.
“Versatile running back with talent as a runner, receiver and kick returner. Shipley possesses early speed, allowing him to whip through creases and outrun linebackers to the corner. He’s a flexible runner who reads up to the linebackers and curates his runs with a feel for both defensive positioning and run lane development. He can balance through contact but is unlikely to move NFL piles. Shipley does a nice job of setting up opponents from anywhere on the field and has the agility to hop and hurdle over bodies. He’s not a workhorse and still has work to do in order to solidify himself as a third-down option, but the athletic talent and skill level could create an early pathway into a spot as a productive RB2.”
NFL.com also lists Shipley’s strengths as follows: Standout football, lacrosse, and track athlete in high school; Quality acceleration early in the run and stacks cuts instinctively; Maximizes interior space by cutting very tight off the lineman’s hip; Sets up tacklers to miss with his feet and eyes; Ankle flexion to make bold cuts at acute downhill angles; Snaps off in-breaking routes with separation burst.
Shipley’s strengths of agility, speed, and versatility also double as his weaknesses, according to NFL.com. That, coupled with his tendency to duck his head and inconsistencies catching passes out of the backfield, have the former Clemson star raise the 7th best running back in this year’s class.
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