Mike McCray 2018 NFL Draft Profile

While playing football at Trotwood-Madison High School in Trotwood, Ohio, Mike McCray earned the nickname “Big Play McCray”. McCray saw action on both sides of the ball for the Rams and his play would earn him honors of AP Division II All-Ohio first team and AP Division II Ohio Defensive Player of the Year in 2012.

Overview
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 243 pounds
School: Michigan Wolverines

Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.76 seconds
Bench press: 16 reps
Vertical jump: 31.5 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 11 inches
Three-cone drill: 7.09 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.25 seconds
60-yard shuttle: 11.61 seconds

Mike McCray 2018 NFL Draft Profile

While playing football at Trotwood-Madison High School in Trotwood, Ohio, Mike McCray earned the nickname “Big Play McCray”. McCray saw action on both sides of the ball for the Rams and his play would earn him honors of AP Division II All-Ohio first team and AP Division II Ohio Defensive Player of the Year in 2012. Due to a left labrum injury, McCray was forced to sit out of the Under Armour All-American Game. While McCray is the son of a former Buckeye captain, ultimately he would end up committing to play for the Wolverines.

In his first game as a redshirt freshman in 2014, McCray blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown against Appalachian State. Prior to the Wolverines’ 2015 spring game, McCray suffered a shoulder injury that would lead to surgery and end his sophomore season before it got started. At this point in time, he publicly acknowledged that the rehabilitation process was mentally challenging as he began to question whether he’d ever return to the level of play he was accustomed to.

McCray would recover physically and psychologically as he made his first career start in the Wolverines’ 2016 opener against Hawaii. He finished the game with nine tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. McCray started the rest of the year and finished the year with 76 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and two interceptions. The following year, McCray exhibited his durability once again as he played in all 13 games. In his final year of college, he compiled 79 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks and was named All-Big Ten honorable mention. He combined for 19 tackles and three tackles for loss in his final two games against Ohio State. After being named a defensive captain in the Senior Bowl, he earned the highest grade (83.2) of any linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus.

Strengths

dependable tackler
big body
toughness
strong, physical force
old-school, thumper-type
ability to read keys leads him to make plays
takes favorable angles to ball carrier
nose for football

Weaknesses

lacks sideline-to-sideline speed
average to below average athlete
potential medical red flag
struggles in coverage
lacks change in direction speed
struggles when targeted in space
stiff runner

NFL Comparison: Paul Posluszny

Teams With Need at Position: Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans

Projection: Fourth to fifth round

Bottom Line

McCray is without a doubt NFL caliber talent. He just might not be as coveted as some of his fellow draft mates. Despite dealing with injuries in the past, McCray has been able to stay relatively healthy and hasn’t missed a game his last two years of college. Due to his lack of athleticism, NFL teams might view McCray as solely a two-down linebacker. Throughout his college career, McCray has shown an ability to rush the passer so teams might want to consider giving him snaps coming off the edge. McCray will be considered more of a depth pick-up rather than a defensive cornerstone piece.

Main Photo:Embed from Getty Images