Marcus Mbow, Purdue: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Mbow was a three-star recruit from Wauwatosa East High School in Wauwatosa, Wis. in the class of 2021
Purdue’s Marcus Mbow is recovering from a significant lower body injury. If he makes it all the way back, he could easily propel himself into the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft as a guard.
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Marcus Mbow, RT Purdue: 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Redshirt junior right tackle from Milwaukee, Wis.
Background: Mbow was a three-star recruit from Wauwatosa East High School in Wauwatosa, Wis. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 1,030 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,041 for On3.com. Mbow was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 76 grade out of 100. He originally committed to Arizona State before flipping to Purdue. Mbow also played basketball at Wauwatosa East. He was born on April 2, 2003.
Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a serious season-ending leg injury six games into the 2023 season
Awards: 2022 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten, 2022 Second Team Freshman All-American (CFN), 2023 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
Pros: Experience taking snaps at right tackle and right guard, thick upper half, kick step gains good depth and width, smooth slide, stout anchor to grind down speed to power, sturdy anchor, active, heavy, & violent hands, firm punches, plenty of hand counters, quick to replace and reset hands, frequently unleashes a snatch trap, attacks long-arms and two-armed bull rushes, mobility to drive rushers up and around the arc, works overtime to stay in front of rushers on extended drop backs, plenty of good reps vs. stunts, comfortable working to the second level, some nasty finishes in the run game
Cons: Nine penalties committed over the past two years, arms likely won’t meet OT thresholds, pre-snap pad level is inconsistent, carries hands low and is late bringing them up, occasionally extends chest way over knees when attempting to initiate contact, too quick to give up his chest, footwork gets sloppy once he transitions out of his kick slide, doesn’t re-accelerate in pass pro after slowing down, beaten up the arc on jump sets, foot speed appeared to fade in second half vs. Illinois (2023), must be mindful of how wide he makes the B-gap, struggles to redirect into B-gap after being pushed vertically, some delayed stunt recognition, needs to flash power more often in the run game, some issues staying attached to DL-men on run blocks, inconsistent maintaining positioning vs. second level defenders, movement on gap runs leaves something to be desired, not an outside zone scheme fit
Overview: Mbow has significant experience playing right guard and right tackle with some experience at left guard. He has a thick upper half and is built to match NFL play strength. Mbow’s arms likely won’t crack tackle thresholds, making his best fit at the next level inside at right guard. His pre-snap pad level is occasionally too high, but that doesn’t prevent him from gaining good depth and width with his kick step. The Wisconsin native transitions into a smooth slide. He has a stout anchor to halt power rushes or counter speed to power. Mbow tends to carry his hands too low and brings them up late, but his hands are active, heavy, and violent. He delivers firm punches to stall rushes, especially when facing leaner defenders. Mbow works hand counters into most of his pass sets. His go-to is a snatch trap that he uses several times per game. The former three-star recruit’s hand usage is advanced, especially for a player with only two years of starting experience. He replaces and resets his hands frequently and aggressively attacks long-arms and bull rushes. Mbow is guilty of occasionally extending his chest far over his knees while attempting to initiate contact. He’s too willing to allow defenders into his chest and rely on his power to halt their rush. Mbow’s footwork quickly breaks down and becomes sloppy once he gets out of his initial kick slide. Once he slows down, he struggles to re-accelerate and match the defender’s pace. Fortunately, this hasn’t prevented him from using his mobility to drive rushers up and around the pocket. Speed rushers take a few reps from him working around the arc. The redshirt junior must be more mindful of how wide he makes the B-gap because he doesn’t redirect to close the gap quickly. His stunt and pass rush recognition skills are still developing, but he has plenty of positive reps against stunts. In the run game, Mbow is comfortable working to the second level and has flashes of nasty finishes. However, he still needs to unleash his power in the run game more often. He doesn’t maul or displace defenders as often as he should given his physical tools. Mbow struggles to stay attached to defensive linemen on blocks. He also struggles to maintain his positioning and leverage against second level defenders. Mbow could survive in a gap run scheme, but his performance and movement on pulls are not consistent.
Overall, Mbow is working back from a significant injury, but his powerful anchor and well-developed hand usage lay the foundation for a potential future NFL starter. Mbow currently projects as a third round guard, but he could easily rise into the second round with another strong season.
Role & Scheme Fit: Right guard in an inside zone scheme
Round Grade: Early Third Round
Size: 6'5", 305 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 05-25-24