Chris McClellan

● Looks the part with natural thickness, long arms and large hands ● Good mover for his size who can make plays in the backfield or outside the hashes ● Gets into pads of blockers quickly and uses every inch of his full extension ● Able to create pocket push with leveraged power ● Effective arm-over techniques and violent hand swipes ● Block recognition in run game has improved each season ● Comes to balance well as a tackler to corral ball carriers and avoid misses ● Consistent practice habits — will fit well in any locker room ● Durable — played in all 51 games the past four seasons

● Tends to play high, especially when he pops upright out of stance ● Marginal burst off the ball ● Allows blockers to push him wide once he narrows and loses hand placement ● More likely to chip away than control blocks or quickly shed ● Better upfield quickness than lateral agility ● Pass rush is based more on strength than sequencing ● Inconsistent timing when looping or running games on blockers

A two-year starter at Missouri, McClellan lined up as an interchangeable one-/three-technique (depending on the formation) in defensive coordinator Corey Batoon’s scheme. He spent two seasons as a backup at Florida before becoming a steady force for the Tigers as a junior and senior. His production won’t blow anyone away, but his impact gradually increased each season. McClellan looks like an NFL player, with his big frame and bear-claw hands. He can be a tough guy for centers to defend when he times up the snap and uses his full extension or arm-over moves to create interior pressure. However, he can get stuck on blocks and needs to be more efficient with his hands to deconstruct and shed. Against the run, he can hold the point and respond well to double teams. Overall, McClellan isn’t a consistent disruptor, but he checks boxes with his physical characteristics and developing recognition skills. He projects as a rotational lineman on the interior who can give teams quality snaps as a zero-/one-technique. 411 Back to table of contents -- 415 of 629 --