San Diego Chargers UDFA Adrian McDonald was a steal

The San Diego Chargers picked up Houston Cougars defensive back Adrian McDonald after the draft, and may have come up with a major steal…

Sep 26, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars safety Adrian McDonald (16) celebrates after recovering a fumble during the second quarter against the Texas State Bobcats at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Every year, the NFL Draft is a huge disappointment for a group of players that don’t get picked, and Houston Cougars defensive back Adrian McDonald is one of them. He might not look at it as a disappointment now, having got to select his new team (the San Diego Chargers), but you sometimes wonder why NFL teams don’t prioritize guys like this, and why they wind up slipping through the cracks.

Not every undrafted free agent is going to make it in the NFL, but I’m on the search for the ones who will. To me, McDonald has the skills and potential within the right defense and special teams unit to make a huge impact in this league, and possibly sooner rather than later.

The Chargers cashed in on the drop of one of the best defensive players on a team that was full of legit NFL talent this past year, including first round pick William Jackson III. Despite the success of the entire secondary as a whole and the attention Jackson drew to campus from NFL scouts, McDonald wasn’t picked in the draft, and I’m here to tell you — that was a mistake.

There are always similar reasons for guys falling in the draft, or falling out of it completely: Lack of great measurables, lack of production, off-field concerns, etc.

In the case of McDonald, it appears as though the measurables did him in, as he checked in at 5-9, 190 pounds at the Houston pro day, and he only ran a 4.65 in the 40-yard dash. Those numbers, especially for a defensive back, aren’t anything to write home about.

Let me tell you about another prospect who stood 5-9, and didn’t weigh 190 pounds dripping wet when he came to the NFL — his name is Tyrann Mathieu.

Oct 26, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) celebrates a tackle against the Baltimore Ravens at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Mathieu was a rare talent coming out of LSU, and was a high draft pick despite having off-field concerns and not playing football for a good amount of time before entering the draft. Had Mathieu been good off the field and played his entire final season at LSU, I have no doubt in my mind he would have been a first round pick.

But people doubted him, nevertheless. He was productive in college, but his production wouldn’t hold up against the major size difference of the players he’d be going against. He played a little corner, a little safety, but not having a true position wouldn’t work out in the NFL where everything seems so specialized.

Wrong.

Even in just the last couple of years, the game has significantly evolved defensively, and Mathieu is a great example of what a creative defensive coordinator can do with a guy who just attacks the football and makes plays.

That’s exactly the type of player McDonald is.

I’m not going to say that McDonald is going to come in and immediately be Tyrann Mathieu for the Chargers, but their safety situation is such that he could have an impact even as a rookie, and not just on special teams. This kid can really play, and you see that over the course of his four years at Houston.

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He racked up 299 tackles in four years, along with 17 interceptions and eight forced fumbles. The guy simply knows how to make plays on the football, and that is the type of instinctive play on the back end of the defense that can really help this Chargers football team.

Keep your eye on McDonald as the offseason progresses. Guys who run poor 40 times aren’t necessarily a lost cause in today’s NFL, because team’s can scheme to use them the right way, like putting him in the nickel or playing him as a third safety.

On defense and special teams, I think this guy is going to make an impact at the next level. The Chargers got a nice steal in the former Houston star.

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