clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

NFL Draft 2012: Scouting on Shea McClellin; College Football Links for Saturday

For your prospect of the day on this wonderful Saturday morning, I wanted to bring up a guy that I've been a little bit intrigued with, Boise State's Shea McClellin. He's intriguing because he's that mix of defensive end and linebacker with some length and versatility, and the Seahawks have shown interest in players like this and more specifically with those two attributes. He doesn't have elite speed or athleticism, but rather shows instincts and again, an ability to play several positions that make him an intriguing mid-round guy to keep an eye on. Several experts I respect talked about him recently as well, so I thought I'd point you to that.

Rob Rang wrote about him a few weeks back. Per Rang:

Listed by the Broncos at 6-3, 255 pounds, McClellin was moved around a great deal but saw the majority of his snaps at defensive end, where he's currently rated by NFLDraftScout.com as a fourth-round value. McClellin accepted the invitation to the Senior Bowl, anticipating he would remain at the position but perhaps see some time at linebacker. Instead, he has worked almost exclusively at linebacker, taking virtually every snap Wednesday on the weak side and proving his versatility and draft grade are perhaps significantly underrated.

"I didn't think I'd be playing pure linebacker here. ... I thought I was going to be doing a little bit of both," McClellin said. "But, it is kind of my choice, too, doing a lot of work at linebacker. I have a lot of film at defensive end and outside linebacker. They put me at weakside and I thought it would be a good idea just to show my skills in that area."

In that same article, Mike Singletary weighed in:

"Let me just say this, if [McClellin] wants to play D-line, he can play D-line. If he wants to play linebacker, he can play linebacker. He is the kind of guy that can fit either way.

"He's a guy that right now is about 255 pounds. He can pick up and go to 275 and go back to D-line or he can stay where he's at. He's got a lot of good stuff ahead of him because he's also a worker. You find a guy like him with his versatility and intangibles -- he's also a smart kid -- and he's going to be just fine at the next level."

Rang continues by talking about McClellin's switch from mostly-DE at BSU to playing mostly linebacker at the Senior Bowl.

Proving much more comfortable than expected considering his lack of experience at the position, McClellin showed good diagnosis skills, quickly attacking gaps in the running game. He took on blocks aggressively, using his long, strong arms to quickly disengage as well as the flexibility and awareness to keep his feet free from the mass of humanity surrounding him near the line of scrimmage. Though not allowed to take ball carriers to the ground during practice, McClellin closed quickly and wrapped up securely before releasing them to finish their runs. As impressive as McClellin was defending the run, it was his surprising agility and awareness in coverage that caught some by surprise.

Look - I don't really know what the Seahawks are looking for in their linebackers. Pete Carroll stressed the need for speed at the position in his offseason presser but it's pretty well known they value instincts and coverage ability in their linebackers as well. They also stress the importance of scheme versatility and an ability to get after the passer but also run with tight ends and running backs, so McClellin just intrigues me. He's also the kind of guy I could see just kicking ass and taking names on special teams, and I know the Seahawks place a bit of importance on that as well.

Jene Bremel - a writer for FootballGuys.com and the Rookie Scouting Porfolio - recently wrote on McClellin:

Tweeners that can play either 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB are common. But the term tweener implies a pass rushing prospect, not necessarily a player who can drop into coverage well enough to have potential value as a 4-3 SLB or 3-4 LOLB. Cam Johnson, Melvin Ingram, Courtney Upshaw and Vinny Curry are all tweeners in that traditional sense but aren't guys that will be asked to do something other than rush the passer for more than a token snap here or there. A solid pass rushing prospect, McClellin backed up glimpses of all-around linebacker play on tape by flashing the ability to turn and run with backs and tight ends during practice this week. Such versatility can push an otherwise one-dimensional pass rushing prospect from the 5th or 6th round into the 3rd.

Anyway - these attributes remind me vaguely of K.J. Wright and we saw the Seahawks take him in the fourth round, then eventually insert him into the starting lineup, successfully, in year one. Check out some more on McClellin after the jump, and I've also included some college football links to read as well.

Big thanks toDraftBreakdown for the excellent scouting videos they put together - Aaron Aloysius, JMPasq,JPDraftJedi, TTN2810, MARI0clp and the whole DraftBreakdown crew.

_______________________________________________________________

Scout's Notes: Prospects at Each Position that I "Love" | Articles
In the Valentine's Day spirit, I wanted to return the "Scout's Notes" section of the site on a high note: prospects I "love".

Buyer Beware: First Round WRs are Risky Propositions | Articles
Some of the hottest topics of debate leading up to this year’s draft have revolved around wide receivers with the potential to be drafted in the first round. Is Justin Blackmon worthy of a top five pick? Will Kendall Wright go down as the best receiver in the class? Will Alshon Jeffery be able to stay (or get into) shape? Where does Malcom Floyd fit into the picture?

Tannehill out of boot, will re-schedule Pro Day - CBSSports.com
While Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden and Michigan State's Kirk Cousins boosted their stock with strong efforts at the Senior Bowl, Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill remains the most talented senior quarterback in the land and is likely to be the first one drafted.

Draft Breakdown — Closer Look: San Diego State RB Ronnie Hillman
Hillman is going to be a player that some teams will look back on and regret not drafting. The NFL Advisory Committee told him that he could be drafted as early as the third round, which seems fitting; however, I look at Hillman as one of the most skilled running backs going into the draft.

Lead NFL Draft analysts say Browns should go after RG3 - Mocking The Draft
Mike Mayock of NFL Network and Todd McShay of ESPN both held media conference calls this week and both said the Cleveland Browns need Robert Griffin III.

Senio Kelemete 2012 NFL Draft Scouting Report - Mocking The Draft
Agility: Senio Kelemete has quick feet, but needs to refine his footwork a bit at the next level. He shuffles side to side well and has pretty good range. I like his ability to get to the second level in the run game and quickly pick up blockers.

Brandon Weeden 2012 NFL Draft scouting report - Mocking The Draft
Accuracy: He is very good when he stays over his feet and has an efficient delivery that allows him to complete short passes at a high percentage. He has the arm strength to make all of the deep throws.

From Cam to RGIII, and the weird psychology of draft analysis | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
If there's one undeniable fact people hopefully learned from Cam Newton's rookie season, it's that the NFL has morphed into something that will allow a quarterback who played nothing but two-digit spread offense in college to succeed wildly at the next level in a pretty big hurry. Newton's historic performances for the Carolina Panthers stood in especially sharp relief after a pre-draft process that had a lot of people picking him apart in ways that went beyond the football field.

Georgia TE Orson Charles: Aaron Hernandez part II? | National Football Post
Just how big of a mismatch piece can this guy be on an NFL offense?

Defensive prospects in need of a strong Combine | National Football Post
Who needs to make a big impression in Indy?

McShay: DE Quinton Coples could fall to Seahawks - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
The Seahawks have identified pass-rush as an area they'll look to improve, no surprise given that their 33 sacks last season put them in a tie for 19th in the NFL. ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay joined "The Kevin Calabro Show" this week and spoke extensively about one player that could help in that department, Quinton Coples.