The Secret Is Out: Shea McClellin Is Really Good

You wouldn’t know it looking at prospect rankings by various internet-based scouting analysts, but the buzz around Shea McClellin is growing to a deafening pitch.  The Boise State DE/OLB was projected as a first rounder in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, and NFL Network’s Mike Mayock has moved him up to #2 in his OLB rankings.

Why the disparity? Look at the printed scouting reports and you see that he lacks “elite athleticism” or isn’t a “quick-twitch” athlete, but put on the tape and you see a guy making plays all over the field.  He played primarily DE for the Broncos, but was moved all over the field, sometimes with his hand in the ground and other times standing up or lining up off the line of scrimmage.  This may have actually contributed to his placement in a lot of prospect rankings in the 50-60 range, he was hard to quantify.  What is he, and where will he play? At the Senior Bowl he played OLB exclusively and really stood out in his ability to cover and rush the passer.  He rebuffed the non-athletic tag on him by running a 4.63 40-yard dash at his pro day, and at 6′ 3″, 260 lbs, looked effortless doing position drills at DE and OLB, showing the kind of versatiliy to appeal to both 4-3 and 3-4 teams.

Here’s what Mayock had to say earlier this week:

"The more I watch tape of Shea McClellin, the more I like the kid.  Put the tape on, you think Mike Vrabel.  What I love about this kid is he can rush the quarterback. Every tape you put on, this kid makes plays. His versatility adds to his value."

The more teams get to know McClellin the more they love him.  His motor is relentless and he has a passion for the game.  I can see him appealing to Bill Belichick and fitting in well to their system. The Pats have two picks in the back half of the first round and are looking to fortify their front 7.  Or I could see him being attractive to Seattle.  The Seahawks are rumored to want to trade back in the first round to acquire more picks, and could ultimately land in the 20’s.  McClellin reminds me in many ways of Clay Matthews, a player the Packers drafted with the 26th pick in 2009 when current Seahawks G.M. was in the Green Bay front office.

Regardless of who takes him or where he goes, McClellin has clearly helped himself this offseason, and to me he’s one of the most intriguing guys in this draft.