NFL Combine 2013: Leon McFadden

The second of two San Diego State players took the field on the last day of the NFL Combine. Leon McFadden is sort of a middle of the pack defensive back and that’s exactly how his combine went. He didn’t really stand out in any category but was solid in just about every drill. Here’s how he fared:

Feb 25, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Diego State defensive back Leon McFadden makes a catch during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

40-yard dash: 4.54 sec

Bench press: 10 reps

Vert jump: 34.5 inch

Broad jump: 119.0 inch

3-cone drill: 6.81 sec

20-yard shuttle: 4.27 sec

McFadden’s biggest strengths are his speed and quickness. He has the ability to keep up with receivers or track them down. He doesn’t possess elite speed but he plays fast. He’s good at jumping routes and a great coverage guy.

His biggest weakness is his physicality. He has a hard time jumping the receiver at the line and likes to play off the ball more than in the receiver’s face. His tackling skills could improve, especially against the run. Bigger backs tend to run through him and he likes to cut tackle a lot.

McFadden is projected as a mid-round pick. With the Chargers in need of a corner, McFadden wouldn’t be a terrible pick. He can learn the position at the NFL level and become one of the better coverage guys on the Chargers’ secondary. This pick would allow the Chargers to address bigger needs in the top half of the draft and pick up a guy like McFadden later on. Why not keep him in San Diego?