The Buffalo Bills drafted Clemson junior defensive tackle Shaq Lawson with the 19th pick of the NFL draft. Lawson had one great season at Clemson, but the question mark on the Clemson under class man is whether his shoulder at some point will require surgery. Bills GM Doug Whaley said the Bills training staff cleared Lawson when they examined him and felt surgery was not required at this point.

Lawson was the top-rated prep school player in the country out of Hargrave Military Academy after a successful high school career in South Carolina. He played well as a reserve for two seasons behind the ever-stacked Tiger defensive line, racking up double-digit tackles for loss each year (10 in 2013, 11 in 2014). With the departure of the likes of Vic Beasley and Malliciah Goodman, Lawson finally got a chance to start in 2015 and made the most of it, constantly exploding into the backfield to finish among the nation’s leaders in tackles for loss (25.5) and sacks (12.5).

Lawson’s personal accomplishments (consensus All-American, first-team All-ACC) led to great team success, as he and fellow junior Kevin Dodd and sophomore Heisman Trophy candidate Deshaun Watson helped the Tigers to an undefeated regular season, ACC title, and national championship game appearance.

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