College: Buffalo
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 251 pounds
Strengths
Pass Rush: Mack puts everything together when rushing quarterbacks. He has the quickness to put offensive lineman out of position, the strength to put them off balance, and the bend to dip under lineman. The total package as a pass rusher needed at the next level.
Size/Measurables: Mack has the size to play and speed to play any linebacker position. At 6’3”, 251 pounds Mack is an average sized linebacker for any inside line backing position. At the combine Mack was among the top performers at his position in the 40 yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, and 20 yard shuttle.
Run Defense: Mack isn’t just a one trick pony who is only good at rushing the passer, he is also very good at chasing down running backs. Often Mack will blow up lineman to destroy running lanes, or manipulating offensive lineman so that he has a better path to the running back.
Negatives
Coverage: Really the only negative found in Mack’s game. Mack is a do it all linebacker who at times finds himself out of position in coverage. When he does find himself out of position he can get grabby, which could lead to penalties early on. Coverage won’t be a big problem as Mack is more of a rush linebacker, and won’t likely spend a ton of time in coverage.
NFL Comparison: Von Miller, Denver Broncos
Mack and Miller are virtually the same exact size. Both listed at 6’3”, the difference in their combine weight is five pounds, Miller’s arms are a quarter of an inch longer, and Mack’s hands are one inch bigger. Mack would do himself a service if he heavily studied what Miller does with Broncos, and try and recreate it. Mack will predominantly rush the passer in the NFL, but that isn’t to say he won’t be doing it all. I wouldn’t say Mack is on Millers level right yea, but he isn’t far behind him.
Draft Outlook
Across the board Mack is seen as a top 10 player at the least. Mack is virtually a lock to go top 10, especially for teams that need to help out their pass rush, which is basically every team. Likely to be the second defender off the board, behind Jadeveon Clowney, Mack has the abilities to drastically improve a team’s defense and that is what will make him an early day one pick.
Best Fits
A great landing spot for Mack would be the Atlanta Falcons with the sixth pick in the draft. Mack can rush from the linebacker spot and fix the Falcons nonexistent pass rush. The Falcons have a lot of holes on their roster, and adding a stand out linebacker/ pass rusher with the same pick would be perfect for them. The Falcons should hope that Mack makes it to them, but with a run on quarterbacks that most drafts see, that shouldn’t be a problem.