Overview
Position: Offensive tackle
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 317 pounds
School: Washington Huskies
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 5.05 seconds
Bench press: 23 reps
Vertical jump: 33.5 inches (tied for second-best among offensive linemen)
Broad jump: 9 feet, 3 inches
Three-cone drill: 7.66 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.66 seconds
Kaleb McGary 2019 NFL Draft Profile
Kaleb McGary comes into the 2019 NFL Draft as one of the top prospects at offensive tackle. But he didn’t play the position in high school. McGary was a standout defensive tackle, earning player of the year honors on that side of the football from the South Puget Sound League in 2013. Not only that, but he also excelled at tight end and made the all-SPSL first team both at that position as well as on the defensive line. The Tacoma, WA native was rated the second-best recruit out of the state of Washington by Rivals and stayed close to home in committing to the Huskies.
McGary was part of Chris Petersen‘s first recruiting class as U-Dub head coach in 2014. The Huskie coaching staff saw him as a future offensive lineman and he redshirted his first season in Seattle to learn the ins and outs of the position. It prepared him for a significant role on Washington’s offensive line for the next four years. As a redshirt freshman, he played in 12 of 13 games and started six of them. It was just the beginning of his ascent into becoming one of the Pac-12’s top offensive linemen.
Between 2016 and 2018, Washington played a total of 41 games and McGary started every single one of them. The accolades began pouring in after his redshirt junior year. McGary garnered first-team all-Pac-12 recognition that year and shared the Earle T. Glant Tough Husky Award with Myles Bryant. He made a repeat appearance on the all-Pac-12 first team in 2018 and took home two individual awards: the Morris Trophy (top offensive linemen in the conference) and the John P. Angel Award (Washington lineman of the year).
Strengths
- a well-proportioned build with ideal offensive lineman frame;
- an extremely capable hand-fighter;
- impressive lower body strengths shows when driving into defenders in run support;
- reliably keeps defenders at bay when combo blocking;
- relentless and physical – plays with focused aggression;
- can climb into the second level and bottle up linebackers;
- stays anchored and square to blocking target with good mirror;
- brings extensive experience against a high level of competition.
Weaknesses
- excessive waist bend which impacts ability to play in a leveraged position;
- kick slide footwork is inconsistent and choppy;
- lacks lateral quickness to counter high-level edge speed;
- plays with too much forward lean at times which negatively affects contact balance;
- deficiencies as a pass protector might necessitate kicking inside to guard;
- a bit of a medical concern with a heart arrhythmia diagnosis.
NFL Comparison: Conor McDermott
Teams With Need at Position: Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Projection: Mid to late second round
Bottom Line
McGary enjoyed an immensely impressive collegiate career and there’s much to suggest he can make a living at the next level. He knows how to win at the point of attack with his hands while also staying square with his blocking target. In run support, he delivers jarring blows with plus leg churn to open up running lanes for ball-carriers. He’s also capable of executing pulls to the inside as well as getting involved as a second-level blocker.
Where McGary struggles is with his lateral movement which could make him a liability in pass protection against elite speed on the perimeter. His footwork is also a bit spotty and that, in turn, will make it difficult for him to neutralize top edge defenders in the NFL. He’s also not a natural knee bender and though his tape indicates functional play strength, he might need some work in terms of optimizing the leverage he’s able to generate. And players have dropped in recent years due to concerns over heart issues.
All in all, there are quite a few NFL-caliber characteristics that McGary exudes. Though he likely needs to move inside to guard to realize his ceiling, McGary is certainly capable of developing into a starting-caliber player. McGary’s family has endured some significant adversity in recent years, including losing their farm when he was in high school. But McGary’s responded to it extremely well and that shows mental toughness that NFL coaches love to see out of players. It should serve him well in the pros.
