Jordan McFadden, OT/IOL Clemson: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

McFadden was a three-star recruit from Dorman High School in Roebuck, S.C. in the class of 2018

Clemson left tackle Jordan McFadden earned All-ACC honors in 2021 and 2022. The sturdy starter projects as a Day 3 selection at guard in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Jordan McFadden, OT/IOL Clemson: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth year redshirt senior left tackle from South Carolina

Background: McFadden was a three-star recruit from Dorman High School in Roebuck, S.C. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 819 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 802 for On3.com. McFadden was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 78 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, he helped Dorman achieve a 12-3 record and reach the state title game. As a junior, McFadden helped the basketball team to a 23-5 record. He was born on Nov. 16, 1999. McFadden earned a degree in sociology from Clemson in May of 2022.

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: ACC Honor Roll 2019-21, 2020 Honorable Mention All-ACC, 2021 Second-Team All-ACC, 2022 First-Team All-ACC, 2022 Jacobs Blocking Trophy (Top Blocker in the ACC)

Pros: Experience playing left and right tackle, arm length for a guard, some natural leverage, protects his inside shoulder, instances of fast hands surprising defenders with clamp speed, displays noticeable quicker and more explosive footwork to counter wide-alignment rushers, rarely ever outright beaten at the snap or early in the rep in pass pro, plays under control and doesn’t panic, solid upper body strength when he lands the first punch, spots and picks up late blitzers, passes off and receives stunts, caves in the defensive line, seals defenders inside and out to open rush lanes, plays angles well in the run game, good mobility to execute pulls, good but not great open field movement skills, topples over second-level defenders in the run game, looks for opportunities to finish defenders to the ground

Cons: Age, committed seven penalties in the past two years, no prior experience at guard, lacks an explosive first step, foot speed, his footwork weakens his outside shoulder, lacks recovery agility in his lower half, struggles to redirect quickly, room to improve pad level, limited knee bend, needs to replace hands to maintain or build leverage, leans on defenders in pass pro which leads to him being unbalanced, allows defenders into his chest and is slow to break their arm, hand placement is wide, punches lack consistent pop, limited clamp strength, struggles to contain defenders with violent hands, walked back into the pocket by power, late to drop anchor, highly vulnerable to speed to power conversion, feet sometimes stop on contact in pass pro, lower body struggles to keep up with his upper body, lacks the agility to mirror twitchier edge rushers, lacks corrective upper body strength to rip defenders out of gaps, leg drive doesn’t uproot defensive anchors consistently

Overview: McFadden took official measurements at the NFL Combine. He’s 6020 and weighs 303 lbs. He has 9 4/8-inch hands, 34-inch arms, and an 81-inch wingspan. McFadden was a permanent team captain for Clemson in 2022. He has experience starting at right and left tackle. McFadden’s arms aren’t long for a tackle, but they’re a really nice size for a guard. The Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner never played guard at Clemson, but that’s the role he projects to at the next level because he lacks the required stature and agility to survive on an island. McFadden offers some natural leverage, but it’s negated by his lack of knee bend. He excels at protecting his inside shoulder. There are flashes of his hands quickly clamping down on the defender or delivering punishing blows, but those moments are inconsistent. He doesn’t have an explosive first step, but he noticeably turns up the juice when facing edge rushers in wide alignments. McFadden is rarely outright beaten off the snap or early in the rep in pass protection. He plays under control and doesn’t panic. The fifth-year tackle displays solid upper body strength when he lands the first punch. He has ideal awareness, picking up late blitzers and passing off or receiving stunts. In the run game, McFadden caves in the defensive line and seals defenders inside and out to open rush lanes. He plays angles well and has good mobility for pull duties. The All-ACC tackle offers good but not great open field movement skills. He’s a menace at the second level, frequently finishing smaller defenders to the ground. McFadden lacks ideal foot speed, and his footwork weakens his outside shoulder. He lacks the lateral agility to recover when beaten and struggles to redirect quickly. Despite being an older prospect, McFadden’s hand usage is lacking. He places them too wide, which allows defenders into his chest. His punches lack consistent pop, and his clamp is broken too easily. The former three-star recruit struggles to contain defenders with violent hands. He’s walked back into the pocket by powerful defenders and struggles to drop his anchor. McFadden sometimes stops his feet on contact in pass protection. He gets top heavy as his lower body struggles to keep up with his upper body. McFadden lacks the upper body strength to rip defenders out of gaps. His leg drive doesn’t uproot defensive anchors consistently.

Overall, McFadden was a consistent starter at Clemson for three seasons but lacks high-end physical traits and athleticism across the board. Plus, he will transition to a position he never played in college. McFadden’s ceiling isn’t high enough to warrant a risk in the top 150 selections.

Role & Scheme Fit: Left guard in an inside or outside zone scheme

Round Projection: Late Fifth to Mid Sixth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 04-20-23