Los Angeles Rams: 5 trade targets prior to NFL trade deadline

Raekwon McMillan, Linebacker, Miami Dolphins

On a ‘sell-now’ team, Miami should be looking to part ways with any player assets they have and look to build around their draft selections from the 2019 draft and beyond. One of those players is Raekwon McMillan, a second-year middle linebacker who had an impressive 2018 rookie campaign.

McMillan is very reminiscent of former Patriots and Bills linebacker Brandon Spikes. His sense of running plays and his ability to shoot gaps and make plays in the backfield is elite, but unlike Spikes, he is more competent in coverage. McMillan uses his athleticism well in hook zones to make strong breaks onto dump-offs intended for tight ends and slot receivers.

McMillan is also an aggressive tackler who has the mindset to make sure he tests an opposing player’s ball security. This aggression at linebacker that has been missing since Mark Barron.

A piece like McMillan could give this defense a new sense of physicality over the middle, as well as a young piece to build a defense with for the future (which is currently a major issue). The current linebacking corps of Los Angeles lacks the pure athleticism as well as the youth of McMillan and would be a valuable addition to this defensive unit.