LB, Michigan
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 234 lbs
Class: Junior
McGrone was a four-star recruit back in 2018, with more than 20 different offers. He settled on the Wolverines and became a full-time starter as a sophomore. His 2020 tape wasn’t nearly as impressive, and his season was eventually cut short by a torn ACL. McGrone is a solid athlete, with the developmental traits that will have plenty of teams interested.
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Strengths
McGrone has the sideline to sideline agility you want in a linebacker prospect. He is one of the more athletic players you will find at the position and has all of the tools to succeed at the next level. His lateral agility is excellent and he has the fluid hips to change direction quickly. He uses all of this to great effect against the run and is able to contain ball carriers and beat them to the edge. Whilst McGrone is still developing in coverage, he has the tools to handle a varied role in the passing game.
Linebackers need to be sure tacklers and McGrone ticks that box. He showcases excellent form and does a nice job of engaging with the ballcarrier in the open field and bringing them down. His pursuit angles are consistently impressive too and he has the burst to chase plays down from behind too. McGrone has registered just nine missed tackles on his 96 career attempts at Michigan. He was particularly reliable in 2020 and didn’t log a single miss on his 25 attempts.
McGrone has shown himself to be one of the better run defending linebackers in this year’s class. He excels when coming downhill and reads the running game really quickly. He is perfectly comfortable working through traffic and making a play on the ball and despite a lack of length he does a good job of getting off blockers. Teams will love McGrone’s high motor and his instincts are top tier.
Weaknesses
Whilst McGrone is a force to be reckoned with in the running game, the same cannot be said for his play in coverage. As things stand he has no real feel for that aspect of the position and isn’t a factor in the passing game. Michigan gave him a mixture of zone and man coverage responsibilities and he was ineffective in both. McGrone has allowed four touchdowns and on just 27 career targets. His career passer rating when targeted of 128.4 would have ranked as the sixth worst amongst NFL linebackers in 2020.
There will be a couple of other question marks about McGrone. He lacks the height and length that you typically want in a linebacker. He also lacks the experience you want, having played just 943 career snaps in college. Teams are also going to have concerns about his injury history. McGrone tore his ACL as a senior in high school and suffered the same injury again in 2020. It remains to be seen whether or not he can stay on the field for an extended period.
Bottom Line
McGrone is still very much a work in progress but he has shown promise so far in his career. He is an instinctual run defender and offers the sideline-to-sideline agility teams want from a linebacker. All of the athletic tools are there for him to be a well-rounded prospect, but at this point he is a liability in coverage. He is still a young player though, and could be a worthwhile mid-round developmental option in this year’s draft.
Big Board Rank: #99
Positional Rank: #8
