Clemson may be without star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence with a trip to the national title game on the line in this year's Cotton Bowl. The mammoth defender has demonstrated a well-rounded game for Dabo Swinney, and he's the type of player that could swing the outcome of this enormous game. 

Notre Dame has a high-caliber prospect at each level of its defense. Jerry Tillery anchors the defensive line, Te'von Coney quarterbacks the defense from his middle linebacker spot, and Julian Love routinely makes plays in the secondary. 

We're going game by game to let you know exactly who you should watch to get ready for the 2019 NFL Draft.

Clemson

Christian Wilkins, DL

Wilkins suffered a down year in 2017 after emerging as a legitimate star during his sophomore campaign in 2016 which culminated in a Clemson national title. In 2018, the supremely athletic and versatile defensive lineman was asked to two-gap on occasion but was also leaned on as a pure pass-rusher, and he didn't disappoint carrying out either responsibility. While he doesn't have a easy-to-spot trump card, Wilkins' strength, burst, and advanced hand work will translate well to the NFL level. He should go somewhere in the middle of the first round.

Dexter Lawrence, DT (expected to be suspended)

Lawrence is a rare prospect. And the word "rare" can be used too often at times. But at 6-foot-4 and 345ish pounds with the acceleration off the snap of an undersized three technique and a developed arsenal of pass-rushing moves, Lawrence truly is a rare defensive lineman. The failed PED test shouldn't sink his stock much -- if at all -- in the draft. Like Lawrence, he's primed to go somewhere in the middle of the first round. 

Clelin Ferrell, EDGE

Don't get me wrong, Ferrell's a fine prospect. But I've started to get the feeling the idea of Ferrell -- a long, 6-foot-5, 260-pound defensive end from Clemson -- is better than Ferrell the actual player. Yes, he totaled 11 sacks in 2018 and has been extremely productive in his career for the Tigers with 48 tackles for loss over the past three seasons. But I need to see more efficient pass-rushing moves and bend to the quarterback for him to be the consensus EDGE2 behind Nick Bosa. The athleticism and length are there. The refinement lacks at times.

Hunter Renfrow, WR 

Renfrow has been a security blanket for the Tigers for a long time -- ask Deshaun Watson. He's as sure-handed as they come and a master working out of the slot. He reads man or zone quickly, often adjusting his route appropriately to create separation for his quarterback. Renfrow's a plus athlete and sharp route-runner too. He's very NFL-ready as a slot receiver and should land somewhere in the middle to late portion of the draft and stick somewhere as a WR3 or WR4. 

Trayvon Mullen, CB 

At 6-2 and 190 pounds, Mullen's going to draw the attention of scouts because of his size and length alone. He's only defended six passes in the past two seasons (three in each), and while he's a plus athlete, he leans on his physical skills too often instead of probably technique. That leads to him being overly grabby down the field. He should get drafted and a strong CFP would go a long way toward him landing before Day Three. 

Notre Dame

Jerry Tillery, DT 

Tillery uses his long arms to keep offensive linemen from getting underneath him, a vital skill for him at 6-foot-7 and around 310 pounds. His tackles were way down this year as he saw considerably more double teams than in 2017, but his sack total went from 4.5 a season ago to seven in 2018, and he forced two fumbles. Tillery's arms are like lead pipes attached to his towering frame, and he has serious burst off the snap, a combination that leads to him disrupting the backfield relatively often. He can be neutralized at times because he obviously plays higher than most defensive tackles, but he's a high-motor player you want on your defensive line. 

Julian Love, CB 

Love has the instincts and twitchiness needed to breakup passes consistently, and he's done just that for the Fighting Irish over the past two seasons with 35 total passes defensed. At 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds, Love isn't the largest corner, but if you're defending close to 18 passes per season on average, you're doing something right. With a strong pre-draft process, Love could go in the first round. 

Te'von Coney, LB 

Coney wins with his mind more so than his physical ability. He diagnoses faster than any linebacker I've watched this season but isn't a blazing, sideline-to-sideline speedster. Also, he has the vital ability to shed blocks in the run game, another skill that helps him get to the ball faster than anyone else on the field. Coney can hold his own his coverage as well but shouldn't be relied upon to deal with springy runners out of the backfield or mismatch tight ends down the seam. He'll probably land on Day 2.

Dexter Williams, RB

In extremely limited action -- 39 carries -- Williams averaged 9.2 yards per rush in 2017 and showed similar explosiveness as the feature back for the Irish this season. He averaged 6.6 yards per carry with 14 scores on the ground on 142 carries. At 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, Williams has great size for a home-run hitter, and his style is very boom or bust. His long speed is outstanding, but he lacks slightly in the vision and cutting departments.