Despite not becoming a starter until his junior year, Micah McFadden has established himself as a unique NFL prospect. As a senior in high school, he set numerous school records at Plant high school in Tampa, Florida. He set the records for season tackles (211) and single-game tackles (23). He also had 39 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two interceptions, and four rushing touchdowns on offense. The Tampa, Florida native was named the 2017 Florida Athletic Coaches Association Player of the Year. He’s the ultimate underdog story from flying far under the radar. He’s impressed with Indiana, but now he has to prove he can make it at the pro level. Likely a day three selection, let’s break down McFadden’s game.
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Player Bio
Name: Micah McFadden
Jersey: No. 47
Position: Linebacker
School: Indiana
Class: Senior
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 240 Ibs
Games Watched: Iowa (2021), Cincinnati (2021), Western Kentucky (2021)
Major Injury History: None
Player Breakdown
Instincts (13/15)
He displays excellent instincts and awareness. Quick to sniff out run plays and has a great reading of guards and following them to the ball. A great team leader who guides his teammates to success.
Tackling (12.5/15)
Look no further than a harder-hitting tackler. A great tackler who rarely lets defenders through him. Comes in very aggressive and lights up the opposing rushers. Always right with the football at the end of the play.
Block Shedding (6/10)
That lack of physicality when disengaging from blockers brings another issue to light. With 31 1/4″ arms, McFadden is lacking in the arm length department. This causes further problems with the ability to shed blockers. Furthermore, it causes issues in coverage where McFadden cannot make a play on the ball at the catch point.
Run Defense (8/10)
McFadden is an excelling run filler. He’s quick and versatile in getting around blocks and separating from contact to get the ball carrier. He has a great football IQ, as he breaks down runs by being in the right place to make a tackle. He flies to the ball handler and hits them with force.
Pursuit/Closing Speed (5/10)
One of his most significant flaws is that he doesn’t have that open field burst to close in on throws and opposing players. His stiffness shows when attempting to change directions in the open field, which quickly leads to a slower closing speed.
Pass Rush Ability (7/10)
McFadden is a unique player in the passing game because he blitzes on passing downs 80% of the time. As a blitzer, he displays perfect timing and burst to slip through the line and disrupt the QB. He recorded 6.5 sacks as a senior and consistently wreaked havoc for opposing QBs. When asked, he is good at zone coverage, hitting his landmark, and having the ability to tackle anyone in front of him. But he is a liability in man coverage due to a lack of athleticism and length.
Man Coverage (5/10)
As we just mentioned, he’s excellent at blitzing and sneaking through the offensive line. This, however, brings up a significant liability problem in man coverage. If he allows quick outlet passes, he’ll be unable to reach his target in time.
Zone Coverage (6.5/10)
He does a great job in discovering screenplays and quickly dissolves them. He displays good instincts in the zone and always reaches his goal quickly for the play.
Ball Skills (4/5)
He has excellent skills on the ball, finishing his college career with three forced fumbles and eight pass deflections. His instincts are entirely on display as he’s always aware of the right move to make.
Versatility (3/5)
His lack of size, length, and athleticism limits his ability to fill multiple roles at the next level. He is best used to playing inside, where he won’t be asked to cover ground and be in space as often. His lack of size and strength will be an issue inside and as a full-time player.
Player Summary
McFadden has a great story and has much potential as an NFL prospect. He will indeed be flying under the radar but will add hard tackling to an NFL defense. He’s fantastic at stopping the run and getting to the quarterback. He has to work on his shift in directions along with his pursuit.
Rookie Projection: Rotational Linebacker
Third-Year Projection: Potential Starter
Player Grade (70/100): Fifth Round
Player Comp: Nick Dzubnar
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Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
