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With the 55th pick in the 2017 RCF Mock Draft, the New York Giants select..
RAEKWON MCMILLAN, LB, THE Ohio State University
via cbs-
STRENGTHS: At a rock-solid 6-2, 240 pounds, McMillan possesses prototypical size for inside linebacker, including a stout core and thick lower half, which help him anchor against blockers. Unlike many of the undersized MIKE backers in today's college football who are reliant on avoiding would-be blockers, McMillan already shows NFL-caliber strength, taking on and shedding opponents efficiently with active, powerful hands, lateral agility and balance. He is a powerful tackler, often stopping ballcarriers dead in their tracks.
This is not to say that McMillan is simply an old-school battering ram. In fact, he shows impressive diagnosis skills to read the play, including the spatial awareness to "slip" blocks simply by taking efficient angles to the ball to beat blockers to the action. McMillan does not possess the same degree of athleticism as his former teammate, Lee (who was clocked at an eye-popping 4.47 seconds in the 40-yard dash at 232 pounds), but he is a coordinated athlete whose quick, choppy steps help him beat backs to the corner and make plays in coverage.
McMillan's dedication to his craft has impressed the Ohio State coaching staff, who already named the third-year junior a co-captain for this season.
WEAKNESSES: As his team-leading tackle numbers prove, McMillan was adept at "cleaning up" a year ago, but scouts are eager to see how he responds now that opposing blocking schemes will be focusing on him. McMillan lacks ideal flexibility, struggling to change directions quickly in tight quarters and occasionally allowing ballcarriers to slip by him. He shows a propensity to misread runs and keep his eyes glued in the backfield too long in coverage.
Further, McMillan is more efficient than explosive in pursuit, raising some questions about his pure speed and potential to remain on the field on passing downs against NFL competition.
Finally, while a generally reliable tackler, McMillan is often more reliant on the power he generates as a face-up hitter to knock down ballcarriers rather than reaching his arms out to catch runners in pursuit or to punch out the ball.
IN OUR VIEW: As a glass-eating, run-stuffing middle linebacker, McMillan is perfectly suited to traditional Big Ten football and may post the gaudy numbers this fall to actually win the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker (like he did in high school). If he is to continue Ohio State's legacy of first-round defenders, however, McMillan must convince scouts that he possesses the speed and playmaking ability to remain on the field on all three downs.
-Rob Rang (@robrang), Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler), 9/20/16
More from the combine:
He ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash, third-fastest among players in McMillan’s position group. But if you take out the 4.46 from Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers — who likely will play safety at the pro level (lol) — LSU’s Duke Riley (4.58) was the only linebacker faster than McMillan. McMillan also put up 23 reps on the bench press, tying him for fifth-most in his position group.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1HIhCLEcjo
Reasoning:
There hasn’t been a Giants Pro Bowl linebacker since Antonio Pierce in 2006. Since Pierce’s retirement, the Giants have allocated most of their salary cap on defense to the defensive line and secondary, severely under-funding the linebacking corps. As a result, linebacker has been the weakest group in New York.
In 2016, McMillan was solid for Ohio State with 102 tackles, seven for a loss, two sacks, four passes broken up and two forced fumbles. The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder played well in 2015, totaling 119 tackles with 1.5 sacks and four passes broken up on the year. As a freshman in 2014, he played a lot for Ohio State and totaled 54 tackles with 2.5 sacks and a pick-six.
McMillan is a tough defender who has the skill set to be a three-down starter in the NFL. The Giants so far are just letting the draft come to them and not panic. There's still some needs on offense and defense, which they'll look to shore up throughout the draft.
Go Bucks!
Giants 2017 draft so far:
Cam Robinson, LT, Bama
Raekwon McMillan, LB, tOSU
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