Cassanova McKinzy, ILB, Auburn: 2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Cassanova McKinzy, a 2012 four-star recruit, famously chose to attend Auburn over Clemson in part because of the school’s proximity to Chick-fil-A. Started 38 of 48 career games while playing for five different defensive coordinators in four seasons. Led the Tigers in tackles for a loss in 2014 and 2015, sacks in 2015 and tackles in 2013. Solid height and weight with a sturdy frame and adequate athletic ability.
Player Information
Class: Senior
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 253 lbs.
Estimated 40-Yard Dash Time: low 4.8s
Games Watched
2015: Alabama, Kentucky, Texas A&M
2014: Kansas State
2013: Florida State (BCS Championship)
Strengths
After the snap, Cassanova McKinzy displays good awareness by diagnosing the play quickly with his solid mental processing skills. In the clip below from the 2014 BCS National Championship Game against Florida State, McKinzy nearly creates a turnover with his instincts. He initially steps up to close a potential running lane, but when the ball isn’t handed off, he drops back into zone coverage and spies Jameis Winston. Realizing McKinzy is preventing him from scrambling for positive yardage, Winston fires a pass that is off-target and nearly picked off by the Auburn linebacker.
In man coverage, he understands route concepts and mirrors the tight end, forcing the quarterback to throw into a tight window. Against the run, demonstrates solid athletic ability by exploding out of his stance and aggressively attacking the ball carrier. Shows good play strength against the run, fighting through traffic to get to the ball. Physical tackler who makes a majority of his stops within five yards of the line of scrimmage. Very versatile player, lined up at defensive end and all three linebacker positions during his time at Auburn.
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Weaknesses
Was given very limited responsibilities in pass coverage as a result of marginal range. Adequate change of directions skills from off coverage, as his erect body position creates a rounded plant and drive. Marginal functional strength against the run as he struggles to shed blocks. Takes poor angles on outside runs which causes him to overpursue plays near the sidelines.
That’s exactly what happens on this third-and-one play against Kansas State. McKinzy diagnoses the play early and is unblocked. However, he takes an overly aggressive angle to the ball and doesn’t quite have the speed to make the play in the backfield.
Even when taking proper angles, aggressiveness gets the best of him and he misses too many tackles. Does not possess the speed to play sideline-to-sideline or chase down a ball carrier from behind. Missed assignments and unnecessary penalties are the result of marginal mental toughness.
Overall
Overall, Cassanova McKinzy is a backup TED inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. He wins with his awareness and ability to stuff the run, but is not someone who should be expected to cover a lot of ground in either the pass or run games. Whether or not McKinzy gets drafted could very well come down to the agility drills at the Scouting Combine. Straight-line speed isn’t nearly as important as lateral agility for an inside linebacker, so the 40-yard dash is almost meaningless for him. How he performs in the shuttle runs and three-cone drill will be critical. A three-cone time under 7.4 seconds will keep his draft hopes alive.