Detroit Lions Draft 2017: Players Who May Fall to Lions’ Second Round Pick
By Ash Thompson
Raekwon McMillan: LB, Ohio State
We know exactly what Raekwon McMillan brings to the table. He has played in huge games, on the biggest stage, against the best competition college football has to offer. There is no mystery in what type of player he will become. In the second round of the NFL draft players with high basements are solid selections.
McMillan’s instincts in zone coverage are impressive. He is almost always moving toward a receiver that is about to enter his zone, and does not always hit his drop before moving toward a receiver. This is a thing I have watched Lions linebackers do far to often in the two years since DeAndre Levy was a regular contributor. In man coverage his change of direction is less than adequate, and he ends up chasing his man.
Against the run, McMillan has some limitations. When he gets in to a foot race with a blocker, he usually comes out on top. When he takes on an offensive lineman he loses. He needs to anticipate where the ball is going to go in order to avoid letting blocks set up completely. When he guesses right it is spectacular, and when he guesses wrong, other Ohio State players were usually there to bail him out.
At the NFL combine McMillan put up a 4.61s 40 yard dash, 23 bench reps, and a 33 inch Vertical jump. His Broad jump was 121 inches. His Three cone and short shuttle times were 4.39s and 7.15s respectively. He was a Butkus award finalist in 2015, and played significant snaps for Ohio state from his freshman season forward. He was first team all big ten and second team All-American in 2016.
McMillan is a player that will get a lot of clean up tackles when other players make mistakes or blow their assignments in the NFL. If he can be put in a position where he is kept free of blockers, and allowed to flow sideline to sideline Raekwon McMillan will be an immediate impact player in the NFL. His immediate impact could be much greater than his second round draft status.