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Tre Madden, RB, USC: 2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report

By Ross Woomer

Sep 5, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans tailback Tre Madden (23) scores on a 65-yard touchdown run in the second quarter against the Arkansas State Red Wolves at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 5, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans tailback Tre Madden (23) scores on a 65-yard touchdown run in the second quarter against the Arkansas State Red Wolves at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tre Madden’s brightest days at USC were early in the 2013 season when he was rushing the ball 20 to 30 times per game. Injuries plagued him and he didn’t run the ball more than 20 times in a game since October 2013, often times receiving single digit carries. Madden missed the entire 2014 season with turf toe.

Although the beginning of 2015 looked promising for the red-shirt senior, injuries arose again causing him to miss four straight games. He returned to carry the ball only eight times for 34 yards during the team’s final two regular season games.  He did not play in the Holiday bowl versus Wisconsin due to post-season knee surgery.

Measurables

Height: 6’0

Weight: 223

Arm Length: 29.75″

Hand Width: 9.37″

Bench Press: 225lbs x24 reps

Strengths

Madden was originally recruited to play linebacker but switched to running back after just one season at linebacker. He has a big upper body and strength to fight for extra yardage. He utilizes his size to break tackles. He was one of the top performing running backs at the 2016 NFL Combine when it came to the bench press (24).

Good pass blocker with the ability to read linebacker blitzes. Explosive speed which allows him to reach the outside and distance himself in space. He comes from a football family. His father played football at Kansas State, his uncle is a former NFL cornerback and his grandfather, Lawrence McCutcheon, is an All-Pro NFL running back.

Throughout all his injuries, Madden ran for eight touchdowns and caught 32 passes for five touchdowns during his career at USC.

Weaknesses

Madden is injury prone. He missed the 2012 and 2014 seasons with separate injuries (torn knee ligament and turf toe). He was limited to just the bench press at the 2016 Combine as a precaution due to his injury history. Most teams wont want to gamble on a running back who’s suffered through multiple injuries already.

He played at running back in only twenty games during his five years at USC. The team who takes a chance with Madden will have to evaluate consistently healthy performance that we didn’t see at USC. If he fails to remain healthy throughout camps, he wont last as an NFL running back.

Team Fits

Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders

Final Thoughts

Madden’s extensive medical history may set him up as a late round steal as he won’t be drafted in the first few rounds. If his injuries don’t keep resurfacing, he has the opportunity to prove himself as a big back in the league who could be used in pass blocks and out of the shotgun. When healthy, he is powerful runner and a solid check-down option. His history with playing linebacker gives him an upper-hand with reading defenses.

Still, running backs in the NFL don’t have a long life span and Madden has already endured enough injuries which have significantly impacted his playing time.

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