Overview
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 198 pounds
School: Florida State Seminoles
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.67 seconds
Vertical jump: 38.5 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet, 1 inch
Tarvarus McFadden 2018 NFL Draft Profile
Coming out of high school, Tarvarus McFadden was a four-star recruit and the fifth at his position. He had 26 scholarship offers and chose to attend Florida State University. He was the 47th-ranked recruit in the ESPN 300 coming out.
During his freshman year, he didn’t see much action, appearing in only two games and making just four tackles during that time. His sophomore year was when he really came onto the scene. McFadden had an FBS high eight interceptions in 2016 and also had seven pass deflections, showing his excellent ability to track the ball in the air. That led to a lot of hype heading into his junior season but he wasn’t able to replicate the numbers from his impressive sophomore campaign. McFadden was able to improve in the run game, recording 29 tackles, but didn’t manage to record a single interception. After the season, McFadden forewent his final season of eligibility and declared for the NFL Draft.
Strengths
- has a good wingspan;
- jabs receiver at release point and annoys them throughout the route;
- great ball skills – had FBS high eight interceptions in 2016
- has the ability to quickly turn his head and find the ball in the air;
- uses excessive skip pedal to roll into smoother transitions;
- good at press coverage.
Weaknesses
- a stiff-hipped player who struggles to mirror and match receiver;
- average tackler with poor play recognition;
- lacks closing speed and foot quickness;
- could have to play in a zone scheme to cover up his speed concerns;
- doesn’t use hands to jab receiver and throw them off their routes;
- needs to be tougher tackling;
- production fell off a cliff in 2017.
NFL Comparison: Jalen Tabor
Teams With Need at Position: Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets
Projection: Fourth to fifth round
Bottom Line
McFadden has the size and length NFL teams look for to pair with his great ball skills. After a very successful 2016 season, McFadden came into the year as a first round pick but never lived up to expectations. In 2017, you didn’t see the great ball skills or ability to track the ball while in the air that you saw from him in 2016. He also lacks the foot quickness and closing speed to be a starting corner in the league. At the next level, McFadden will fit well in a zone scheme which will cover up his speed concerns and allow him to more easily track the ball and not have to keep up with a wide receiver’s route.
