Indiana's Micah McFadden hopes to break through in NFL draft with toughness, football IQ

Micah McFadden is, at this point, more than used to hearing about what his body can't do. And once again, that seems to overshadow what the former Indiana All-American linebacker has accomplished.

At Plant High School in Tampa, Fla., one of the country's most fertile areas for football talent, McFadden recorded a program-record 211 tackles as a senior and was named Florida Athletic Coaches Association Player of the Year in 2017.

However, he barely cracked the top 2,000 in the 2018 class according to the 247Sports composite rankings, checking in at No. 1,985. Only two Power 5 programs — Boston College and Indiana — offered him a scholarship according to 247Sports' database, and the IU offer might not have come if IU coach Tom Allen's son Thomas hadn't been McFadden's high school teammate. He was the lowest-rated scholarship addition in IU's class.

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But McFadden turned that scholarship into a starting job at middle linebacker for the Hoosiers, All-America honors in 2020 and back-to-back All-Big Ten honors in 2020 and 2021. He became one of the most effective blitzing inside linebackers in the country and posted a combined 12.5 sacks and 26.0 tackles for loss in his last two seasons.

NFL draft questions persist

Still, heading into this weekend's NFL draft, he's hearing the same concerns about size, speed and overall athleticism, even though he's proven to be one of the strongest and toughest players in his position in the draft class.

Because his measurables aren't spectacular, he's not expecting to hear his name called until Day 3 of the draft, most likely in the sixth or seventh round. He's home in Tampa, Fla., for the week but said he won't even invite friends and extended family members to his home until Saturday with Thursday's first round and Friday's second and third appearing out of reach.

Looking for an opportunity to compete

Still, his experience at Indiana taught him that all he needs is for some team to give him a chance and he can do the rest. He still has the best chance of any of Indiana's hopefuls to be drafted, so that's all he's hoping for. To be taken by somebody.

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"I don't really care about the round," McFadden said by phone this week. "Obviously, I'd love to be drafted. That's an important piece of it, not only for my position but where I am in this draft class. For me, I just want to go out there and play ball again. I want to find out whose team I'm going to be on and where I'm going to be playing ball this fall."

McFadden said he ultimately felt like he made the best possible impression in the pre-draft process. The 6-2, 232-pounder was dealing with a minor injury and couldn't do most of the drills at the NFL Scouting Combine in early March, but his 21 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press were fifth-highest among linebackers at the event.

At Indiana's Pro Day about a week later, he posted a respectable 4.63 40-yard dash time that would have put him 14th among linebackers in the combine and a 6.88-second three-cone drill time that would have been the best at the position.

Football IQ greatest strength

But McFadden thinks he helped himself the most through interviews, especially when he was drilled on Xs and Os. His greatest strength has always been his anticipation, which allows him to get to the ball faster than opponents can get hands on him even without blazing speed. That comes from intense film study and understanding how to function within the defense.

He also said even though the Hoosiers operated out of the base 4-2-5 defensive scheme incorporated by Allen throughout his career, it helped that he got to play under two different defensive coordinators in Kane Wommack and Charlton Warren.

"I think what I did well was just show what I know," McFadden said. "Both (coordinators) have taught me things differently, but I think that benefitted me because I learned more terminology and more about the game as a whole. I just think talking in front of the coaches, they got that sense and that feeling that I knew what I was talking about and I had talked ball and played with coaches who knew what they were doing."

Possible special teams contributor

McFadden said he's also talked to coaches extensively about potential contributions on special teams. He was frequently used on those squads at Indiana and expects that to create a pathway for him in the NFL.

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"I think that's going to be where I make my money the first few years in the league," McFadden said. "We'll see how it goes and where I end up, but that's definitely going to be really important. Teams like a player who likes to play special teams. I think explaining that I enjoyed it and even when I was a starter I was still playing special teams, I think teams appreciate that."

And he knows they appreciate smart, tough players who work hard. Even if they aren't always drafted as high as players who are faster with longer arms.

"There's so many players who have made money in the league, won Super Bowls and been starters," McFadden said. "They're not the most athletic or talented dude, but they know the game, They understand where they fit in the scheme and how to find the ball. That's what I'm going to bring to whatever team I end up on. Teams know that I understand ball."

Follow Herald-Times IU Insider Dustin Dopirak on Twitter at @DustinDopirak or email him at DDopirak@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana's Micah McFadden hopes football IQ will get him drafted by NFL