Coming into the week, each Pewter Reporter took the liberty of picking a player at the 2026 Senior Bowl who we were most excited to watch. I chose Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker, who just so happened to be one of the most impressive players at the first day of practice at the Senior Bowl on Tuesday.

As seen in years past, Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Alabama, can serve as a launching pad for the draft stocks of various college prospects. String together a couple of solid practices, and that can be enough to turn a Day 3 pick into a Day 2 pick or a late first-rounder into a mid-first-rounder. Parker falls into the latter category, and he could be a real fit for Tampa Bay, which has the 15th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

T.J. Parker Is A Powerful Rusher Who Knows He Has Room To Grow

Although just 21 years of age, T.J. Parker is ready to make the jump into the NFL. Parker, the son of an 11-year US Army veteran, comes off as every bit of a mature player who recognizes the value of hard work. It helps that he pairs that by being pretty good at football, too.

Pewter Report had a brief window to interview Parker after the National team’s practice. We took full advantage of that opportunity by first asking him what the biggest strength of his game is and what he believes is an area of improvement.

“I think my biggest strength is my power,” Parker said. “I use my length really well to get off. I think something I can always work on is my angles, specifically with certain sets that the offensive line gives. I can always get better with that. Coaches were trying to help me out with that today. I can always continue to get better with that.”

Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Ken Ruinard

It takes a lot to admit what you need to get better at, especially during a week where all the focus is on what you do well. To that end, Parker properly assessed his game by saying power is his best trait. That was crucial in piling up impressive college numbers (21.5 sacks, 41.5 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, and six fumble recoveries) across his three years with the Tigers.

As he continues to put his name out there, Parker also mentioned which top edge rushers he likes to watch tape of.

“I’m a big Maxx Crosby guy, I love him,” Parker added. “Obviously Myles Garrett is the top one, and I really like Khalil Mack. I love the way he uses his power and his length as well. Those are some of the guys I really watch on a daily basis.”

Parker is nearly identical in height and weight to Mack, being just a couple of pounds lighter. It is easy to see some of the same physicality in his game, which is just what the Bucs need to add along the front seven.

T.J. Parker Could Answer A Lot Of Bucs Pass Rush Problems

When you look at the current state of the Bucs outside linebacker room, it is one screaming for reinforcements. Yaya Diaby leads the group and is the only edge defender locked into a significant role next season. Haason Reddick is a free agent, Anthony Nelson is nothing more than depth, and Chris Braswell simply has not developed into anything more than a special teams contributor.

In a scenario where Tampa Bay pulls the trigger on T.J. Parker at No. 15 overall in April, he would immediately inject much-needed juice and upside into the unit. Ideally, Parker would not be asked to carry the pass rush right away. He would open the season as a No. 3 edge rusher, with Diaby as the steady presence and the front office still taking a swing via free agency or the trade market to land a proven top-tier pass rusher.

Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Ken Ruinard

The team has lacked an explosive, chaos-creating edge presence for years, especially one who can consistently win on first contact. He showed what that could look like on the first day of practice, when he absolutely bowled over a left tackle. Parker did that throughout his collegiate career, but especially during his 2024 season. He had career-highs across the board that year, including six forced fumbles. He spoke about how that transpired, noting how coaching brought the most out of him and the Tigers defense.

“It’s just repetition,” Parker said. “Every day, regardless of if you get a turnover that week or not, we always work on forcing the ball out, punching out the ball. It’s just a habit of going in for tackles. That’s something we’ve repped every day during practice. We had a period; it’s called turnover circuit. Every day as we’re punching, even when we’re thudding up during the walk-throughs or during installs, always trying to rake at the ball because you just never know when that ball comes out.”

While T.J. Parker may enter the league as a complementary piece; his ceiling is far higher. With some refinement and the proper coaching, Parker has the tools to grow into a featured pass rusher sooner rather than later.

Will it be with the Bucs?

Time will tell.

Watch Day 1 of Pewter Report’s Senior Bowl Coverage

Pewter Report discussed T.J. Parker’s big day, along with who else stood out during the first day of Senior Bowl practice. Check out our latest Pewter Report Podcast on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel for what you need to know about all the action in Mobile, Alabama.