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McClain Heads Inside Linebackers
Photo – LB Rolando McClain
Rolando McClain #25 - 6’3” 255 lbs. - Alabama - Sp. 4.60
Big athletic junior Mike linebacker has been one of the premier defenders in the SEC over the past three seasons. Rolando earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors as a junior after another excellent performance. He combines all the physical skills physically and mentally to be a rookie starter at the Mike spot. He has been a top playmaker from the inside since his redshirt freshman season when he posted 74 tackles, 1 sack and 5 TFL in nine starting assignments in the tough SEC. He started for the past three seasons, earning SEC honors each year with 1st team mention over his final two campaigns. He displays very good speed, instincts and the quickness to read and react to plays and finishes with strong fine tackling technique. He keeps defenders off his body, relying on his quickness and good hand technique to stay clean and on his feet. His superior instincts and toughness should allow him to compete for a pro starting job immediately with the speed that gives him the versatility to also play outside at the SAM spot. He is a downhill thumper who delivers crushing blows with the ability to force many turnovers. He has the COD, agility and size to match up with tight ends, in addition to the speed to cover running backs. He is best suited for the Mike spot where he excelled over his entire career. He is a very active defender who is quick to diagnose the play and usually takes proper angles to the ball with the ability to get through traffic and the closing burst speed to finish the play. He goes sideline-to-sideline with strong tackling that allowed him to total almost 300 career stops with the great majority coming in the last two seasons. Most of the mistakes were out of being over aggressive and being out of control at times. In pass coverage, he gets fine drops with the ability to move laterally, read the QB’s eyes and break on the play. His fine leaping skills help him deflect many passes and his talent will allow him to be an every down defender and also line up over tight ends. Over his career, he totaled 5 interceptions and 14 PBU and one of the better coverage backers in this class. As a pass rusher, he has enormous upside potential. He shows the ability to sack the QB and is especially adept at the delay blitz, showing fine timing and the burst of speed to make the play. He totaled 8 career sacks with half coming over his final season. His speed allows him to make plays at the sideline with the read and react skills to finish the plays consistently. He has top recognition skills that allow him to use his quickness and speed to get into position to consistently make the stop, though he needs to develop better hand use to keep blockers off him and stay clean sifting through traffic. He has great size for the inside with the instincts, hitting power and toughness to move at the snap and find the football quickly. He can defeat blockers with fine strength and quickness and usually keeps good pad level and stays on his feet to stay alive between the tackles. He has fine sideline-to-sideline range to be a playmaker with the size and quickness to consistently take on blockers and stack and shed. He has very good closing speed and fights through trash to finish well. He is a fierce competitor with good awareness in his pass drops and he makes plays on the ball. He works hard to attack the inside run and will improve further with better hand usage. His strengths are as a run stuffer with the speed to chase to the outside and upside as a blitz defender. He is an aggressive savvy backer, suited for either scheme with rare size/speed/ instincts that allows him to flow to the ball to maximize his talents. He is similar to Mike man Brian Urlacher in AA, speed, instincts and versatility and also Jerod Mayo, though he is a bigger prospect. As a junior, he started all 14 games and made 105 tackles with 145 TFL, 4sacks, 2picks and 4 PBU, earning 1st team SEC honors. During the ’08 season, he made 95 tackles with 12 TFL, 3 sacks, 6 PBU and 1 pick, starting all 14 games while earning 1st team SEC honors. As a freshman, he made 74 tackles with 5 TFL, 1 sack, 2 interceptions and 4 PBU for freshman honors. At the NFL Combine, he did not run or participate in drills. He did 24 reps. It was revealed at the Bama Pro day that he has Crohn's disease. He has known that since HS and has performed brilliantly despite the illness. At the Bama workout, he ran one sprint in the high 4.6 time, but terminated due to the illness. He has the package to start inside in either the standard 4-3 or 3-4 sets as well as the outside on the strongside. Very athletic versatile playmaker has strong tackling ability, instincts and the quickness and speed to succeed in the NFL. Prospect with well developed skills in all areas and a probable rookie starter in the right setting. Top ten prospect with Pro Bowl talent. Browns, Broncos and Dolphins are very interested.
Draft Projection: 1st Round