The Tape Doesn't Lie: Rolando McClain

via assets.sbnation.com

While Mel Kiper and Todd McShay are usually good for a laugh, I have found that they and most of the other so called "analysts" out there rarely give much useful analysis on players beyond generalizations, measurables of height, weight and speed and where they happen to be on their board.  So lets get some real analysis from the best source out there, the tape, on some of the Chiefs potential picks at number 5.

First up: Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama

Now just to be clear,  I am just some guy who likes the Chiefs. I don't claim to be good at scouting, but I do have two eyes and the ability to see what a player did in a particular play.  (especially when someone puts a nice little box over him before the play starts) Because of my obvious lack of expertise, I  provide the tape here so you don't have to take my word for it.  I welcome any disagreements with my analysis.

Tape 1

 

Universal Draft Presents LB Rolando McClain of Alabama - Part 1 of 2 (via ckparrothead)

Tape 2

 

Universal Draft Presents LB Rolando McClain of Alabama - Part 2 of 2 (via ckparrothead)

Strengths:

Taking on Blockers

McClain is incredibly strong. He repeatedly takes on offensive linemen with little or no difficulty and either sheds the block or stands them up.  The times he does get blocked out it is usually because the lineman took him at an angle and not head on.

Pass Coverage

McClain seems to do a decent job in pass coverage. He stays with his man and is able to follow the quarterbacks eyes well.  In man coverage he does seem to make contact too the point where he may get flags in the NFL, and in zone coverage he sometimes seem to back up a bit too far. Overall however he seems to do better than expected here.  

Weaknesses:

Blitzing

McClain has a lot of difficulty getting to the QB on blitzes.Anytime he gets picked up by a lineman he is stoned and goes nowhere.  The few times he does pressure the QB he is unblocked and comes clean through the line. I don't give players credit for running from point A to point B, that's just benefiting from scheme.

Lateral Pursuit

Several times McClain is beaten to the edge by running backs. He does not seem to chase well or to have very good speed.  When the play is away from him he seems to make little effort to pursue.

Tackling Technique

I was amazed by, what I percieved at least, as poor tackling.  McClain more often then not hits the ball carrier in the chest or shoulder area, and seems to rely on brute force to wrestle them down. While that may work in college it won't fly in the NFL. He has to learn to put shoulder to hip and wrap up.

Trick Plays

Seems to get fooled easily on misdirection plays

Final Take:

I don't think McClain is worthy of a top ten pick. He has too many holes in his game.  I would put him a decent amount below Patrick Willis and he went 12.

 

 My take on all 90 plays contained in these videos:

1. Slow pursuit, a safety coming from 10 yards behind McClain actually makes the play
2. Average tackle, still looks slow closing to the ball carrier
3. Tackles high, has to wrestle the runner to the ground
4. Tackles high, has to wrestle the runner to the ground
5. Tackles high, has to wrestle the runner to the ground
6. Gets completely juked and misses tackle
7. Plays decent zone pass coverage and makes a tackle for short gain, still tackles high
8. Good play. Spies the quarterback and makes a solo open field tackle when he tries to run.
9. Good play.  Tackle for a loss, tackling technique still requires him to throw the running back down instead of making a solid hit.
10. Tackles high, jumps on QB’s back.
11. Good play.  Tackle for a loss, tackling technique still requires him to throw the running back down instead of making a solid hit.
12. Tackles high, doesn’t even complete tackle, only stops forward progress.
13. Misses a tackle in the open field on a receiver crossing over the middle
14. Good play. Reads the pass and closes on the running back for a short gain
15. Good play. Moves through traffic and makes a solid hit on the running back for a short gain.
16. Makes a tackle in deep zone coverage after a completion in front of him
17. Cleans up after a teammate makes initial contact
18. Pursuit is slow, allows running back to take the corner, makes a shoelace tackle
19. Decent man coverage, follows quarterbacks eyes, stays on man
20. Good man coverage, turns hips well, stays on man, follows QB’s eyes
21. Bumps receiver but then lets him release, doesn’t take part in the play
22. Decent zone coverage. Causes receiver to drop the ball because he was scared to get drilled
23. Zone coverage. Again tackles high.
24. Zone coverage. Receiver drops ball.
25. Man coverage, makes contact with reciever
26. Zone coverage, follows QB eyes well and tips pass
27. Man coverage, does a good job of getting underneath the receiver, may have had a pick if the ball was thrown there
28. Zone coverage, nothing really good here, pass is completed near him and he doesn’t make the tackle
29. Throws a tight end to the ground
30. Gets caught in the pile
31. Takes on a guard and sheds the block well
32. Takes on an interior lineman and sheds the block well. Still makes a high tackle but its understandable in this case
33. Able to free himself from a blocker and pursuer the running back
34. Takes on an offensive lineman well
35. Gets blocked out of the play
36. Man coverage, not involved in play
37. Takes on a blocker well and sheds him, makes tackle but again a little high
38. Misses tackle
39. Takes on offensive lineman and pushes him to the ground
40. Falls down
41. Blocked out of play
42. Hit by two blockers and still gets in on the tackle, good job here
43. Tripped up, caught in traffic
44. blocked out of play
45. misses tackle/blocked out of play
46. stands up blocker
47. stands up blocker
48. stands up blocker
49. stands up blocker
50. blocked out of play
51. man coverage, makes contact with receiver
52. sheds block but doesn’t make tackle
53. blocked out of play
54. blocked out of play, unable to pursue
55. stands up blocker, makes tackle
56. caught in traffic, unable to pursue
57. (PART 2) blitzes, can’t get through the line
58. blitzes, can’t get through the line
59. blitzes, can’t get through the line
60. blitzes, can’t get through the line
61. blitzes, can’t get through the line
62. gets some pressure on QB after he leaves the pocket
63. gets a lucky bounce for a pick in zone coverage
64. blitzes, can’t get through the line
65. blitzes, can’t get through the line
66. Good blitz, good pressure on QB, came free
67. Good blitz, good pressure on QB, came free
68. blitzes, can’t get through the line
69. blitzes, can’t get through the line
70. Good blitz, good pressure on QB, came free
71. Beats block by RB, gets pressure on QB
72. blitzes, can’t get through the line
73. blitzes, can’t get through the line
74. Good blitz, gets pressure on QB
75. loses QB to the outside
76. play made away from him, pursuit seems slow
77. play made away from him, pursuit seems slow
78. fooled by a reverse, pursuit is slow
79. play made away from him, pursuit seems slow
80. reads QB’s eyes and moves to potential receiver
81. misreads play, left standing in no man’s land
82. pursuit is slow, running back gets the corner
83. not involved in play but in good position
84. play made away from him, pursuit seems slow
85. moves to blitz but then pulls up, ends up doing nothing
86. blitzes, can’t get through the line
87. tracks QB well, takes on blocker well
88. blocked out of play, pursuit seems not only slow but half-hearted
89. perimeter play, pursuit seems not only slow but half-hearted
90. caught out of position misses tackle