Three months ago, Pittsburgh offensive tackle T.J. Clemmings was being mentioned as a potential first-round pick. But in the ensuing 12 or so weeks, Clemmings saw his stock slide, to the point where he ended up being selected in the fourth round Saturday.
Clemmings went to the Minnesota Vikings with the 11th pick of the fourth round (110th overall). But NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock said he still thinks Clemmings "is a starting right tackle in this league Day 1."
Mayock also said Clemmings -- who joins a Vikings team that had Matt Kalil and Phil Loadholt as its starting tackles last season -- has "a lot of work to do, especially in technique."
Clemmings was a touted high school defensive end and played on the defensive line in his first two seasons at Pitt. He was moved to the offensive line during spring practice in 2013 and started 26 games in a row at right tackle.
"He played extremely well as an offensive tackle at Pitt in games," Mayock said. "Went to the Senior Bowl and got undressed. Why? Because he's only been an offensive player for two years. He's very raw from a technique perspective."
Mayock also said there were some medical concerns, as NFL Media Insider Ian Rapaport reported last month that Clemmings has been dealing with a stress fracture in his right foot. Clemmings didn't know he had the injury and had felt no pain.
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah called Clemmings "a right tackle who can really help you in the run game. That's going to take a lot of pressure off their young quarterback (Teddy Bridgewater)."
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
