Cameron McGrone Scouting Report
One of the few standouts on a poor Michigan team, Cameron McGrone enters the NFL Draft as just a redshirt sophomore. A player with some fans amongst the draft community, dive into the Cameron McGrone Scouting Report below.
School: Michigan / Position: LB / Height: 6’1” / Weight: 232 / Class: rSo.
Games Watched: Minnesota (2020), Michigan State (2020), Iowa (2020)
Zone Coverage:
Not a very valuable player in coverage at this point. Not an exceptional athlete and he struggles to identify the play as it happens in front of him. Does not gain the requisite depth in his drops and he does not have a good sense of spacing and route concepts overall.
Inside Run:
Due to his affinity for playing physically, he does very well to attack the ball carrier in this aspect. At times overruns the play due to the speed at which he attacks the ball. A good tackler when he gets home as well.
Outside Run:
Has enough speed to run down the ball carrier to the sideline and does so willingly. Nonstop motor that allows him to get involved in plays you would not expect him too. A great form tackler as well, does not miss when attacking towards the sideline.
Strength:
Not a very strong player and when he gets blocked he stays blocked. Struggles to disengage as he is often the weaker of the two parties. Not an overly hard hitter either, never going to stand the ball carrier up in the hole.
Athleticism:
A limited athlete, McGrone doesn’t move exceptionally well around the field. While he is relatively fast, he lacks the lateral movement skills desired at the position. Will never be better than average in this aspect.
Tackling:
The best part of McGrone’s game, he is a very good and willing tackler. Rarely misses tackles and invites the contact necessary. Tackles with good form. Despite his willingness to hit, does not deliver the punishing blows you would expect.
Mental Processing:
Likely the worst part of his game, McGrone often struggles to identify what is happening during the play right in front of him. Is not an asset in the pass game due to this, he simply has no grasp of route concepts and struggles to identify where the ball is going.
Man Coverage:
Due to his struggles in zone coverage and lack of athleticism, I do not see him becoming a valuable man coverage player.
Speed:
Has good speed to chase down plays to the sideline and get to the ball carrier on pursuit plays. Uses this well on blitzes also. This should make him a valuable special teams player.
Blitzing:
An exceptional blitzer due to his speed and physicality, does a good job of timing himself up with the snap. Finishes the play most times.
Assessment:
Cameron McGrone is a fun player to scout who has a troublesome projection to the NFL. While he excels at tackling and has good speed to compliment his love for the physical side of the game, he simply lacks the coverage ability or instincts to last as a starting NFL linebacker. Oftentimes, he appears lost when attempting to read a pass play happening in front of him, often biting on play fakes. Luckily for McGrone however, his physicality and play speed will give him a long NFL career as a special teamer.
Grade: Round 5-6
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