Raekwon McMillan, LB, Ohio State: 2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Raekwon McMillan was the leading tackler for the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 2016/2017 campaign.
In his last two seasons Raekwon McMillan racked up over 230 tackles, 116 of which were unassisted. McMillan has started for Ohio State since his freshman year and recently declared for the 2017 NFL Draft.
His prospects as one of the top linebackers in this class come from production and as a leader of a team that has now twice made the College Football Playoffs.
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Name: Raekwon McMillan
Position: MLB
Height: 6’2
Weight: 245
College: Ohio State
2016 Collegiate Stats: 102 total tackles (49 solo), 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 5 passes defended and 2 forced fumbles
McMillan’s Positives…
The first thing that jumps out when looking at McMillan is the number of tackles he’s had in his career. With 275 tackles in three seasons, he has 64 more tackles than top-rated linebacker Reuben Foster while playing in only six additional contests. Having nearly 300 tackles in a shortened career says that McMillan is a guy who is constantly around the football and has the ability to continue that at the next level. When watching film, McMillan shows great awareness of the play call and the direction it’s going in. Here’s a clip that demonstrates some of his natural instinct:
McMillan is at his best in run support and really within the box in general. He shows the kind of strengths that you may not look for in a middle linebacker but more likely a strong side backer. McMillan is the kind of player that takes pride in his read and reaction skills. It’s not often that he’s out of position to make a play within the box area. His biggest tests come from having to stretch sideline to sideline and at times effort seems to grab a hold of his ability.
McMillan’s Negatives…
When you look at tape of McMillan the first thing that stands out is his lack of athleticism. He possesses good size for the position at 6’2 and over 240 pounds but he’s a brick for an athlete. At times McMillan’s lack of athleticism gets in the way of his ability to read plays and get to them in time. It could be that there’s just too much weight on his frame and cutting back a few pounds might loosen him up. On top of that is the issue that McMillan sometimes doesn’t give the one thousand percent effort you want to see from the linebacking position. This tends to come true more often when he’s hit first on a run play.
If you notice in the GIF, McMillan catches the blocker instead of attacking the position. You can even see him take a slight step back right as contact was being made. It’s a fairly normal occurrence for McMillan. He’s often driven back on the goal line if he isn’t given a clear shot. Another weakness of his is in the passing game. While McMillan has the size you want for the position he struggles to be fluid in coverage. His stiff hips and thick frame make it hard for him to stick with more athletic opponents.
Outlook
While Raekwon McMillan has the numbers and stats that you want, there are still some huge flaws in his game as a player. As of right now McMillan is a two-down linebacker that needs a strong supporting cast. Based on the lack of depth in this draft class it’s possible that McMillan goes early day two. However, I have him as a late day two, early day three player.