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Former South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has drawn comparisons to former Giants legend Lawrence Taylor.

(Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

NEW YORK -- The comparisons between Jadeveon Clowney and Lawrence Taylor are unavoidable.

Taylor, the former Giants legend, is arguably the great pass-rusher in NFL history. Clowney has a long way to measure up to Taylor's accomplishments, but the South Carolina defensive end enters Thursday's NFL Draft as one of the most hyped pass-rushers to join the league in years.

Clowney, who burst onto the national scene last year with a crushing tackle in the Outback Bowl, is widely projected to go to the Houston Texans with the first pick in the draft.

Clowney is embracing the high expectations that will accompany him to the NFL. And if that means comparisons to Taylor, Clowney won't shy away.

"I think I can do what he did – run around a lot of guys, make a lot of plays, even though you can't hit like they were hitting back then," Clowney said Wednesday at a pre-draft media availability in Manhattan. "I watched him do some hits and he was trying to kill people, take their heads off. You can't hit like that no more, so you have to do it the right way."

Clowney said he used to watch YouTube clips of Taylor to get fired up for games in college.

"He ran through them," Clowney said. "I'll be like, I'm going to go out here and run through somebody like LT."

Carl Banks has heard the comparisons made between his former Giants teammate Taylor and Clowney. Banks recently dismissed such talk as "ridiculous."

"No. 1, you're stepping over a lot of great defensive ends," Banks told ESPN's Ashley Fox. "They should hope he's as good as a Richard Dent, Neil Smith, Bruce Smith or Charles Haley. If he can get to that level, he's a dominant player. But you want to jump over those players and say he's the next Lawrence Taylor? It's ridiculous. I just gave you four of the greatest defensive ends, and you don't want to put him in that category because he's already better than them?"

Clowney had only respectful words for Taylor.

"I love to watch him," Clowney said. "He's one of the greatest pass rushers I've ever seen."