INDIANAPOLIS — Raekwon McMillan reads your tweets. He hears your chatter.
If you don't believe the Ohio State linebacker projects well in the NFL because of a blown coverage here, missed tackle there, or if you feel his athleticism isn't at the level it should be, that is fine. McMillan isn't perfect. No player is perfect. But he wants you to watch his tape first.
McMillan starred at Ohio State for three seasons, even playing a significant role on Luke Fickell's defense during the 2014 national championship run. A Butkus Finalist a year later, McMillan became a captain in 2016 and led one of the most prolific units in all of college football. But his college football resume lacks the "wow" plays of perhaps a Ryan Anderson from Alabama, T.J. Watt from Wisconsin or Kendell Beckwith of LSU.
“With bigger linebackers, it's always a question about coverage. One person says it and it's like a miraculous, domino effect for everybody else,” McMillan said on Saturday at the NFL Combine. “Some people don't even watch film that say I can't cover.”
As is the case every year, there are naysayers for all prospects in this year's NFL Draft class. McMillan checked in at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, a stout frame that helped him tally nearly 300 tackles at Ohio State. But there will always be someone to nitpick.
“He's been pretty productive but I don't see anything special,” one scout said about McMillan according to NFL.com.
“Slow to disengage and tackle. Tight in his lower half. Missing the quick, reactive change of direction to consistently secure shifty runners,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “Delayed in stop-start pursuit to the sideline. Has some limitations in man coverage.”
McMillan doesn't shy away from the fact he at times made mistakes and got beat in the passing game. It has led to questions about his ability to be a three-down player in the NFL. It also led to tweets like this one from the second team All-American:
"His numbers were down this year" lol ... pic.twitter.com/cHmok7nWh2
— Raekwon McMillan (@Kwon_daTRUTH) February 14, 2017
And this one:
Can't cover https://t.co/0eS3CoQgrf
— Raekwon McMillan (@Kwon_daTRUTH) February 1, 2017
LB Raekwon McMillan (Ohio St, 6'2", 243lbs). Not sure how he'll do in deeper coverage, but this impressed me. Sticks with RB for 25 yards. pic.twitter.com/qjgXPLqTHJ
— My Colts Account (@MyColtsAccount) February 1, 2017
And this one too:
Misses a lot of tackles https://t.co/JGtWT2PoQx
— Raekwon McMillan (@Kwon_daTRUTH) February 1, 2017
LB Raekwon McMillan (Ohio St, 6'2", 243lbs) impressed me vs. Clemson. Great tackling technique. Runs well in pursuit. Can stand a runner up. pic.twitter.com/XCGmp424LW
— My Colts Account (@MyColtsAccount) February 1, 2017
“It is what it is and I can't do nothing about it now,” McMillan said. “I can only handle what I can handle.”
McMillan takes that attitude to the field and did so for three very productive seasons in Columbus. He cited that play against Penn State superstar running back Saquon Barkley as the reason there shouldn't be any worry about his abilities. Barkley was co-MVP of the Big Ten with J.T. Barrett in 2016 and looks like a future NFL running back.
McMillan held his own.
“People talk about my speed, how I'm not fast, how I can't cover,” McMillan said. “If you look all year, he caught about three or four touchdowns on the wheel routes, on the same play. And I was able to defend it.”
“Some people don't even watch film that say I can't cover.”– Raekwon McMillan
Barkley caught a wheel route for a touchdown against USC in the Rose Bowl, so McMillan knows what he is talking about. The former Buckeye plans on doing every drill on Sunday at the NFL Combine but wouldn't tell reporters his goal for the 40-yard dash. Just that he spent the majority of his time at EXOS Human Performance in Phoenix prior to the draft trying to perfect his take off and explosion on the sprint.
He said the 40-yard dash has been a hot topic of interviews with teams and scouts while in Indianapolis. Sunday is essential for McMillan's draft stock.
“My 40, I've been working very hard on it,” McMillan said. “I think I can make me some money tomorrow.”
Regardless what he runs in the 40 or how well he does in bag drills at Lucas Oil Stadium, McMillan won't ever fully separate himself from people who think he won't be an impact player at the next level.
He is OK with that — Sunday is what he has been working for his whole life and being an integral part of Ohio State's defense for three seasons ought to show what he can do on the football field.
“I'm a captain at Ohio State. Everything that we did on defense came through me,” McMillan said. “I can do the same thing for their program, never give them a reason to let me go from the team and I'll be a leader. Never a follower.
“At the end of the day, it is what it is and I can only go out there and do my best. What I did on the field last year is in the past. I can only go up moving forward.”
